Thin Blue Line
by Neo Draco
Summary: As crime in Japan rises, the best and the brightest of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department must band together to form a new task force.
1. Chapter 1

Sargent Makoto Kino stared down at the shattered body, feeling neither sadness or anger. At any other time in her life, she would have felt a little of both, but, after five years with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, seeing both the best and worst of humanity, she had grown cynical.

The young man, he would have been quite attractive in life, had been shot six times in the chest and, as if that wasn't enough, thrown from a thirteenth story window. There were five others up there. What had obviously been a party had been broken up in the worst way.

Crime, in recent years, had risen and kept her, as well as her fellow officers of the TMPD, very busy. Despite being horribly understaffed and ridiculously underfunded, they had managed to muddle through. Officers had been lost in the line of duty, good officers, good people, and many had been Makoto's friends.

"What have we got?"

Makoto turned to see CSI III Ami Mizuno, one of the brightest minds ever to have the misfortune of settling into police work. The woman could have been anything, a doctor, a teacher, anything. Why she chose law enforcement was well beyond her reasoning, "What do you think? We got another one."

"Is he it?"

"You know he isn't. There's more where he came from, enough to keep you busy all night."

Ami rolled her eyes, "Tell me about it. It's gotten so bad that I've set up a cot in the lab."

"Are you serious? And they let you do that?"

Ami scoffed, "What are they going to do about it? Fire one of their few remaining investigators? They need every one of us they can get."

It was the truth. Some smart asshole had gotten word out about exactly what the Crime Scene Investigators did. Now, it seemed that every gang had a price on the head of every CSI. None of them were allowed out into the field without an armed escort, "You bunch are disappearing like rabbits."

"I spend more time at funerals for colleagues than I do in my own apartment."

"That bad?"

"That bad."

Makoto pulled a pack of Rolaids out of her pocket and munched one. She ate these more than regular food these days. Policing was thankless, stomach-corroding work. She was certain that she would die of a heart attack, or high blood pressure, or a stroke in the next few years.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Ami glared up at the sky, "I hate working under a deadline."

"What? It's just a little rain."

"Yeah, well, a little rain washes away a lot of evidence."

Makoto shrugged, "We could set up a canopy or something."

"Yeah. And while we're at it, we could invite every gangster in the neighborhood to take potshots at me. No, thanks."

Makoto could see that this abnormally brusque manner hid the fact that Ami was scared. At any second, she half expected a gunshot to ring out and the CSI to fall over the corpse, dead, "Don't worry, kid. We've got your back."

"Thanks but I think I'll worry anyways, if it's all the same to you."

l-l-l-l

Lieutenant Usagi Tsukino, head of the TMPD's violent crimes division, settled down into a seat outside the Commissioner's office. This was the end of yet another forty hour shift and she was nothing if not exhausted. The budget cuts, loss of personnel and the rising crime had led to long days and sleepless nights for everyone. She absently tried to straighten the wrinkles from her uniform blouse and tuck the loose strands of hair back into her braid. If only her Mamoru were still alive, everything would be better. He had been murdered, right before their daughter turned three, by a drug-crazed teenager, for the forty yen in his wallet.

It had been two years, two long, hard, painful years that she had struggled through without him to lean on. He was her rock, her pillar of strength, her anchor in the rising storm. But, with him gone, she was lost now. The only thing she had left now was her daughter, her Chibi-Usagi, the apple of her mama's eye.

Usagi gritted her teeth against the flood of tears that followed in the wake of Mamoru's memory as surely as thunder follows lightning. If she let the waterworks go now, she might very well drown in them. She cleared her throat, trying to shove the painful lump back down where it belonged. Where it could slowly eat away at her being and embitter her to the world.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant."

Startled, Usagi looked up to see a young woman, one of the force's newest recruits, staring down at her, trying to balance a stack of files at the same time. Such a pretty young thing had no business here on the force. She looked like she spent her spare time, what little she did have, beating back the boys with a stick. She had the look that Usagi was certain she once held. The look of certainty that she would be the one to change the world. The poor kid didn't know what she had coming, "I'm sure the commissioner just wants to speak with you," the girl continued, "I'm sure it's nothing bad."

Usagi regained her eggshell-thin composure as she smiled up at the girl, "Thanks. Er...Don't tell me."

"Probationary Officer Hotaru Tomoe, ma'am."

"Right. Tomoe, right. Sorry. It's been a very long day and I'm just very tired."

"Of course, ma'am." Tomoe tried to bow while continuing to balance her stack of files, finally giving up on the fourth or fifth try. "I'd better go and take care of these."

"Right. Er...Dismissed." She watched Tomoe march off to see to whatever menial tasks had been set before her and she shook her head. They needed officers on the streets, not back here doing paperwork.

Shouting erupted from behind the commissioner's door. Somebody was causing quite a stir in there. Somebody was also about to be cited for insubordination if whoever it was didn't calm down and quickly. When Usagi finally saw who it was, she wasn't surprised. Sargent Haruka Ten'oh, head of the department's SWAT team, stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind her. She looked up at the ceiling with a "why me" expression on her face before turning her green-eyed glare to Usagi, "Lieutenant." she said simply.

"Sargent." Usagi replied, watching Ten'oh stuff her hands in her pockets and march off. It hadn't surprised her that it had been Ten'oh in the middle of that ruckus. Ten'oh was usually in the middle of some kind of ruckus or another, especially since she had announced, publicly, that she was a lesbian. This had resulted in an unusual amount of citations for insubordination. The only reason Ten'oh hadn't been thrown out on her ass was because she was one hell of a leader and a magnificent helicopter pilot, what other officers called "Rotorheads", to boot.

The commissioner's secretary stuck her head out of the door, "He'll see you now."

Usagi stood and gave her wrinkled blouse a final tug. The moment of truth had arrived.

l-l-l-l

Rei Hino sat on her bed, quietly smoking a cigarette. Loki, her partner, lay on his back at her feet. She raised one bare foot and rubbed his stomach, "You're a good boy." she cooed.

Loki managed to sneeze and pass gas at the same time.

Rei wrinkled her nose in displeasure, "Excuse yourself. It's bad enough you smell as bad as you do but to be rude on top of that." She scoffed, "You need a bath."

Loki cocked his head.

"Bath?" she hinted.

With a whimper, he crawled up under her bed, where he knew she couldn't reach him.

"Coward." she accused, "You'll attack an armed man for me but you're afraid of a little water?"

It was true. If Loki was afraid of two things, it was his weekly bath and his annual shots. But Rei loved her four-legged partner all the same. She and Loki were members of the K-9 squad of the TMPD, specializing in both drugs and explosives. They often worked out of New Tokyo International Airport.

Loki was a two year old German Shepard who had bonded instantly with the cop. They had trained together, played together, and lived together and were as inseparable as twins. Though she didn't claim to be a pet psychic, or Dr. Doolittle, she could understand Loki on a base level just by watching his body language. She often entertained the idea that Loki could understand her beyond basic commands.

Rei lay back and felt the bed shift as Loki climbed up next to her and laid down, "Loki!" she barked.

He turned his attention to her, _Yes?_

"Have you lost your mind? Get out of my bed."

Loki laid his head back down on the pillow, _No._

"Loki. Don't you test me. It's too late and I'm too tired. Your bed is in the corner, by the radiator. Go to it."

He rested his head on her chest, _But, you're up here. Who's going to protect you if I'm over there?_

"I'll be fine. Now, go to your bed." She shoved him off the edge of the mattress. She knew the fall wouldn't hurt him. This was a nightly ritual.

After a moment, he peeked back over the edge, _Won't you reconsider?_

"Go!"

Head down, tail tucked between his legs, Loki slunk over to his bed. Rei actually felt sorry for him, "Loki?"

He turned back around, the light of hope shining in his eyes once more. He knew exactly what was coming, _Yes?_

Rei patted the mattress beside her and he sprang up, exactly as he did every night, and settled down as she covered him with a blanket, "Now, you need to be still and quiet. We have work in the morning."

He leaned over and began to lick her face, _Still and quiet, you've got it. Good night, Mistress Hino. I love you._

l-l-l-l

Finally returning home, Usagi slipped out of her coat and pulled her hat off, hanging both on the rack by the door. She pulled her shoes off and slipped into a pair of slippers. As tired as she was, her mind was racing with what the commissioner had told her. She could definitely use the pay raise but she didn't know if she could do the task he assigned her.

Sinking down into an easy chair, she closed her eyes. A gentle hand touched her shoulder and she gripped it, not needing to see who it was, "Hi, Mama."

Ikuko Tsukino gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, "Hi honey. How was work?"

"I don't know if I can do this anymore." Usagi admitted, "Six murders today, three murders and a rape yesterday. It's scary out there."

"I know, baby. It isn't like it used to be."

She looked over at the door behind which her daughter slept, "This isn't the place to raise a child. I can't even let her outside anymore. I'm so afraid some pervert's going to snatch her up."

"I know it seems bad but it'll get better, you'll see."

Tears began to trickle down her face, "When, mama? The bills are piling up. We might lose the apartment. This isn't how it's supposed to go."

Ikuko dropped down and held Usagi against her as she wept, "It's going to be okay." she soothed, running a hand down her daughter's hair, "It'll get better. It can only get better."

"I can't do this anymore, mama. I can't keep fighting like this." she sobbed.

"Mama?"

A sleepy-eyed Chibi-Usa stood in the hallway, rubbing her eyes with one hand while holding a pink bunny with the other. Usagi immediately went and picked her daughter up, "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I couldn't sleep." She murmured, snuggling against Usagi's breast. Usagi sat back down, cradling her child against her.

Chibi-Usa suddenly looked up, "Mama, why are you crying?"

Usagi wiped the tears from her eyes, "Mama just had a very hard day, baby, and she's very tired. That's all."

Chibi-Usa took her mother's face in both her hands, "You're a good mama." she whispered before snuggling down again and falling asleep.

Usagi bit her lip against the urge to cry again. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her little girl.

Ikuko stood and held her arms out, "I'll take her back to bed."

"No, mama. You've done enough." Usagi replied as she stood again and laid Chibi-Usa on the sofa before turning to embrace her mother, "Thank you for watching her."

"Honey, it was my pleasure."

"I'm sorry I need you so often. Daddy must not like it very much."

"Your father understands completely and is very proud of you. As am I."

"You'd better get on home, before it gets too late. Give daddy my love."

Ikuko took a moment to feel Usagi's ribs before they parted, "You're not eating again." she said, frowning in disapproval.

"I know. I've just been so busy. I promise, I'll eat something tomorrow."

"I'll bring you something."

"No, no, Mama. You've done enough for me. I have the next few days off so you stay home with daddy."

"If you insist. But I don't like you working yourself to death like this. You're missing meals and sleep. You need to keep strong and healthy. Chibi-Usa needs you."

After seeing her mother out the door, Usagi, once again, picked up her daughter and took her into her bedroom to tuck her in for the night, leaving the night light on. Chibi-Usa didn't like to wake up in the dark.

She retreated to her own bedroom and lay down on what she still thought of as "her" side of the bed. She left Mamoru's side, the side he used to sleep on, completely open, as if she expected him to walk in and lay down with her, to take her, once more, into his strong arms and hold her tightly as she slept. Seven hundred and fifty days had passed since the night he died and not a moment went by where she didn't think of him. She wished desperately that he was still here with her as she gave his picture a goodnight kiss and fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Rei snugged her belt tight as she prepared for work. Loki gently grabbed his collar from the bedside table and brought it to her. The collar had a tiny badge next to the license, denoting him as a police dog.

"Are you ready?"

Loki wagged his tail, _Of course I'm ready, Mistress Hino. Aren't you?_

Rei knelt to buckle his collar around his neck and gave him a scratch behind the ears, "You're such a smart boy."

As soon as she let him go, Loki dashed for the door and waited impatiently, _Hurry, Mistress Hino. There are bad guys out there and we have to catch them._

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." The telephone rang, "Right after I get that."

Loki whimpered and looked at the door, _Come on, Mistress Hino. The bad guys will get away if we don't hurry._

"This is Rei Hino."

"Corporal Hino, this is Commissioner Sumisu."

"Oh, yes, sir. To what do I owe the honor of this call." The Commissioner had never called her before. She wondered if something was up.

"I see that you're scheduled to come in today."

"Yes, sir. Loki and I are about to leave now."

"Don't bother, Corporal. I want you to take the next few days off, with pay, of course."

"Yes sir. But, why? Has there been a problem with my work?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. Your work has been exemplary. I'm starting a new squad and I want you to be on it."

"I would be honored, sir." 

"Excellent. I'll call you again on Monday with the details. In the meantime, take a bit of a vacation."

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir." She hung up and looked over at Loki, who was still by the door, "I guess we have some time off, partner."

Loki looked at the door and whimpered, _But, what about the bad guys? We have to catch them before they get away._

Rei slipped off her uniform and into an old pair of shorts and a tee-shirt, "We have the day off. And you know what that means."

Loki knew exactly what that meant. He lowered his ears and made a break for under the bed.

"No you don't!" Rei shouted as she seized Loki by his collar. He sat down with a hard thump. He wasn't going to make this easy. He never did, "You're getting too old for this crap, Loki." She muttered as she dragged him into the bathroom.

l-l-l-l

Michiru Kai'oh laid back down in her bed. Take some time off, the commissioner had said, forming a new squad, he had said. Though he wouldn't give any details about this new squad. She hated leaving her duties on the harbor patrol for even one day but the commissioner had been insistent.

Born into a life of privilege, Michiru had forsaken it all for law enforcement. She had been kidnapped the day after her sixteenth birthday. Her captors had held her for ransom and, before her parents paid, had done...unspeakable things to her. She still shuddered at the memory of what they did to her during that week in Hell, could still feel their filthy hands on her softest, most private flesh. She had barely escaped with her life, much less her dignity. From then on, she devoted her life to putting animals like that in cages, where they belonged.

Her line of work brought her into contact with all types, drug smugglers, weapons dealers, traffickers. There was never a shortage of people committing crimes out in her harbor. It was a shame that the money didn't keep up with the need. Her force had been reduced to her and six of her best, which was just enough to keep three boats in the water, which wasn't hardly enough. And the higher-ups kept wondering why so much stuff was getting through. She and her crippled force couldn't be everywhere at once.

She arched her back, stretching, as she sat up and looked around her small apartment, trying to decide what to do for the next few days. Television was out of the question, she hated the daytime soaps and talk shows with stupid people whining about stupid things.

She didn't have much of a life outside of work. She didn't have friends to go shopping with or hit the clubs after work. The only person she had was her girlfriend and Michiru doubted that she would be free.

Her telephone rang. Maybe the commissioner had changed his mind and wanted her to come in after all, "Hello."

"Hey, I'm assuming you're off too?"

Michiru's heart lifted at the sound of her girlfriend's voice, "Yeah. For the next few days."

"No shit? You want some company?"

"How else am I going to survive without nothing to do?"

"Okay. I'll be over there in five."

l-l-l-l

Setsuna Meioh sighed as she settled back into the hot bath, feeling her tense muscles unwind. She picked up her glass of champagne and opened the newest book by her favorite novelist to the first page. This was the life. This was the first day off she had in, she didn't know how long. The Christian scriptures had it wrong. The wicked had all the rest they wanted, it was the righteous who never rested. Being a federal prosecutor did have it's perks but, she earned _every_ yen she made. Burning the midnight oil, while trying to put some crook or another away, was just one of the things she was known for.

Known as a zealot in the courtroom, Setsuna pursued justice with the tenacity of a terrier. She prosecuted to the full extent of the law against each and every defendant she went against, be it a petty crook or a well-respected politician. In a way, she was glad that crime had risen in Japan. It kept her in a paycheck.

But something gnawed at the back of her mind. She had been given this time off because she was going to be assigned to a task force of some kind or another. Her superiors had been vague about just what she would be expected to do. She hated it when people were vague. She liked to be prepared for any eventuality and vagueness didn't serve her in the slightest sense. But, she would have to wait and see. That was another thing she wasn't very good at.

l-l-l-l

Detective Minako Aino leaned against the side of a building and clasped her hands behind her back, the better to show off her chest. There was no such thing as a day off for her. She had contacts to manage, information to pursue, bribes to pay and if she disappeared for too long, it would raise a lot of questions.

She was waiting on a specific contact this morning and wished she had thought to wear a jacket. She didn't know he was going to be this late. She kept getting glances from people, particularly men, as they passed her by. She looked the part of a prostitute in her tight leather pants and sleeveless sweater that left nothing to the imagination and, in this part of the city, a prostitute was the best cover she could ask for. Already, several men had approached her, offering to buy her "services". She had sent them away with assurances that she was waiting for her pimp.

She shifted again and fingered the .38 special she had hidden in the waist of her pants. The gun wasn't big but having it made her feel all the better. Her contact sidled up next to her and leaned back against the wall.

"It's getting rough out here." he muttered.

"Tell me about it." she replied, finishing the code.

"Did you hear about the big ships coming in tonight?"

"How many big ships?"

"Six." he replied.

Six hundred kilos coming into the harbor tonight, "What colors?"

"Colombian."

Pure Cocaine of the highest quality. Six hundred kilos would have a street value in the millions of yen, "Who rented the ships?"

"No idea."

That wasn't code. He didn't know.

"I'm hungry." he complained. This information was really going to cost her. In a well-practiced maneuver, she slipped him three hundred yen. He took it and disappeared. She pretended to look at her cell phone for a moment before wandering off in the other direction.

l-l-l-l

Haruka sat on the floor across from Michiru, staring at her. Suddenly, she pulled a face, crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue, which caused Michiru to giggle.

For Michiru's safety, Haruka would never admit in public that they were lovers. Japan was a conservative society and, though it was becoming more liberal, homosexuals were still taboo. Society, in general, tolerated homosexuals but they were still seen as diseased or disfigured, somebody to be, at best, pitied and, at worst, ridiculed. Haruka could not count the number of times somebody in the office had made a snide remark, usually behind her back but just loud enough for her to hear. She didn't want that for her Michi.

Since they both had off for the next few days and neither had seen each other in some time, they had decided that they would stay together for the duration of their vacation. Which meant a lot of fun, good company, and junk food for them both, which is what they really needed.

Haruka had a silly idea, she reached into her overnight bag and extracted a pair of pink, fuzzy, handcuffs, "You want to play cops and robbers?"

Michiru paled as she stared at the cuffs before hiding her face in her hands. Haruka immediately realized what she had done and dropped the cuffs, "Oh, God. Michi. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She went over to the shivering woman and held her, "I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." 

Michiru swatted Haruka's head, angrily. The blow stung a little, "I know." Haruka comforted, "I deserved that. I deserve more than that. I wasn't thinking, I swear. I'm so stupid." The warm and festive atmosphere of the apartment had turned frigid. Michiru was reliving the nightmare from her childhood. Haruka silently swore to herself that, if she ever found the assholes who hurt Michi for their sick pleasure, she would happily make them feel the same fear and cold terror that Michiru had felt.

Michiru swatted her three more times, "You _know_ how I feel about that." she whispered

"Yes."

"You _know_ what they did to me."

"Yes. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Apparently."

"Please, Michi. Let me make it up to you. Please."

Without looking up, Michiru hissed, "Throw those damn things _away_!"

Haruka immediately scrambled to the cuffs, snatched them up, and threw them into the trashcan. She yanked up the trash bag, which was only half-full, and slipped into her shoes. Mentally kicking herself, she ran the trash downstairs into the dumpster, where Michiru would never see them again.

Returning to the apartment, she saw that Michiru had recovered at least some of her composure. Haruka knelt down next to her and Michiru immediately slapped her before seizing her collar and pulling her close, "You are _never_ going to do that again."

Haruka, usually tough and fearless to the point of being reckless, remembered why she feared Michiru as she stared into those blue eyes clouded with rage, "No."

"_Never again_. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am. Never again." She watched as Michiru sank back and folded in on herself, "I'll go away, now."

"No, wait." Michiru leaped forward and grabbed Haruka's arm, "If you go, I'll just sit and think about it and drive myself crazy. Please, stay."

Haruka sat back down and Michiru folded against her, "I'm sorry." she whispered, "I shouldn't have hit you."

"I deserved to be hit. It was my fault for not thinking."

"No. I shouldn't have gotten as angry as I did. You just wanted to have fun. I can't stop thinking about it. I can still feel them _inside me_."

Haruka kissed her brow, "Well, then, we'll just have to find something to do to take your mind off of it."

l-l-l-l

To all but his closest friends, his name was Mr. Castle. It was a common name but he was not a common man. He had been summoned by an old friend of his, Hirohito Sumisu. Old Hiro had found his way into the upper echelons of Japanese society as a police commissioner, starting from a flat foot, a beat cop. Mr. Castle had known a lot of cops, some good, some bad. They did a job that nobody wanted and were seen as an annoyance. Castle, however, was seen as a danger, if he was seen, that is.

Castle specialized in not being seen, that was his job. But now, he had a new job, to take the best and brightest of the T.M.P.D and turn them into a crack special ops group. He read over the files that had been faxed from the other side of the world. All women, all kids to Castle, who was pushing fifty. The plane ticket had arrived early that morning by Federal Express. First class all the way, no expense had been spared for him.

Castle had never been a cop. One could say that he had been everything but a cop. Fresh out of school and with no prospects, he had enlisted in the Navy. He found the rigid system to his liking and ascended quickly through the ranks. One day, his Commanding Officer had come to him with a proposal to join the SEALs, the Navy's special ops regiment. He had joined with them and found it even more to his liking, committing acts that he would take to his deathbed. He had retired from the military by his mid thirties and had himself a nice home, a beautiful wife, and three adorable children.

Until God decided to take a shit on him.

His family had been murdered. Enraged, Castle had gone on a rampage, murdering every member of the gang that had done the deed. Slowly, methodically. He would not wait for the stagnant justice system to do it. He should have gone to prison. But someone higher up had liked what he had seen. Someone in the CIA. Castle had been given a job, a new name, and a new life.

But that was then, this is now.

Greed, it was always greed, had turned Japan from a shining jewel to a cesspool. They're police force had gone from being respected to being a laughingstock. Politicians had taken money from the police force, crippled it, taken it's teeth, and now, they had this mess and they expected him, and these poor kids, to clean it up for them. Experience had taught Castle to be a realist, which some people mistook for pessimism. He hoped these kids were up to the task that their so-called superiors had set upon their shoulders.

Sweeping the files into his briefcase, he gathered up his luggage and ticket. Japan was going to be his new home and he was going to be damned if he didn't clean house.


	3. Chapter 3

Probationary Officer Hotaru Tomoe had only been on the force for a month. She hadn't been assigned to any partners or particular beats when she received the call to come here, to this warehouse, on this night, and to await further instructions. She didn't like this. It smelled fishy and she doubted the smell was coming from the nearby docks.

The weather was horrible, cold and misty. Hotaru's overactive imagination kept making her hear footsteps behind her and see movement in the shadows. She tightened her gray overcoat and hurried deeper into the warehouse. This place gave her the creeps.

It was more than just the frigid air that made her shiver. The hair on the back of her neck was standing tall and she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Maybe this was some kind of test or something, to see if she was a real cop.

"Hello."

Hotaru immediately spun and drew her pistol, leveling it at the space between the woman's wide blue eyes, "I am a police officer." she barked, "Let's see some identification."

The woman raised her hands to show that she was unarmed, "Okay. Okay. Let's try to keep calm. I have my identification right here in the pocket of my coat." She began to reach into the pocket.

"Keep your hands where I can see them." Hotaru snapped.

The woman complied, "Okay. Alright. I'm sorry. No harm done."

"Which pocket?"

"Left."

"Anything in here that might poke me? Any needles or anything?"

"No, no. Just my id and some loose change."

Hotaru reached into the woman's pocket and fished out the leather folder, taking a moment to glance at the id before relaxing, "Sorry about that, Dr. Mizuno. You gave me quite a fright." She explained as she holstered her pistol.

"It's quite alright. I would have done the same thing in your position. And, please, call me Ami. I only use Dr. Mizuno in the courtroom."

"And I'm Hotaru Tomoe." she replied, handing back the wallet.

"I haven't seen you before. Have you been on the force long?"

"No. I just started a little over a month ago." 

"And do you like it?"

Hotaru thought for a moment, "It's okay, I guess. I thought I'd be out catching criminals but all I've done so far is mountains of paperwork."

Ami laughed, "I know what you mean. No matter how high you get, there's always paperwork."

Hotaru shifted uneasily, "Listen. Do you know why we're here?"

"No. I was told to come here and await instructions. Something about a new task force, I think."

"Yeah, I got the same spiel. I don't like this, honestly. Something bad's going to happen, I can feel it."

A woman with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail stuck she head out of one of the doors at the end of the warehouse, "I thought I heard voices out here. Come on in, we've got coffee going and the heater hasn't shut down in the past five minutes. It looks like it might be a good night after all."

Both of the women hurried into the room where it was actually warm. Hotaru saw that they weren't the only ones here. A masculine blonde she recognized as Sargent Ten'oh hovered, nonchalantly in one corner with a very pretty Sargent with, oddly enough, bluish hair. Another woman, with long black hair, sat, playing with a German Shepard dog. One of the K-9 people, Hotaru guessed. Another woman with long dark hair and a serious expression was reading through a binder of legal material while a blonde, who looked like a prostitute, was reading over her shoulder. The dark haired woman pointed at something and the blonde nodded in approval.

"Excuse me." Lieutenant Tsukino slipped past behind them and took a seat at the table.

"Late again, Lieutenant?" asked Sargent Ten'oh.

"I couldn't find a babysitter for my daughter, Ten'oh, not that it's any of your business. And I'd appreciate it if you showed a little more respect for your ranking superiors."

Ten'oh scoffed, "Superior, my ass. I've heard a few rumors on how you got those stripes, Tsukino. None of them convince me that you are anyone of honor."

"Oh? And do you always listen to everything you hear, _Sargent_. I assumed you were more intelligent than that. I guess that's what I get for assuming."

Ten'oh bristled at the comment, "And just _what_ do you mean by _that_?"

"Leave it alone, Ten'oh." The K-9 officer warned in a long-suffering tone.

"You and your damn mutt stay out of this, Hino!"

Hino immediately leaped to her feet, "What did you say about my dog?"

"I said he's a worthless piece of garbage that should have been drowned the minute his mother popped him out."

Shouting erupted as the two officers leaped for each other with everyone else trying to pull them apart. Hotaru simply watched the chaos in confusion. Throughout her entire life, all she ever wanted to be was a police officer. She had always looked up to and respected the men and women in uniform who helped people everyday. This was not how police officers were supposed to act.

A gunshot echoed throughout the room and everyone froze. Hotaru expected to see either Hino or Sargent Ten'oh with their side arm drawn but all of those present were staring at her or, more accurately, behind her.

Hotaru turned to see a very large, very angry man standing behind her. Though he was older, he was very fit and looked like he could tear anybody half his age in half. She, wisely, got out of his way as he stalked into the room.

"Now, I _know_ I did not just see two of _my_ officers fighting, did I?" He hissed.

Silence reigned as everyone stared at him. Hotaru noticed that he did not put away his gun, a massive weapon that was, obviously, not standard issue.

"Answer me!" he roared, "Did I, or did I not, see two of my officers fighting?"

"No, sir." the group chorused

"Capital! Now, everybody, sit down and shut up!"

Everybody scrambled to a chair and sat quietly like a room of chastised children.

"I am Castle." the man announced from the head of the room.

"Is there more than that?" Tsukino asked.

"Yes. _Mister_. See that you use it all."

"And what rank do you hold, sir?" Ten'oh asked.

"My rank, Sargent? My rank is your new _Boss_. Do you understand?"

"What I mean, sir, is what qualifications do you have to lead us? Most of us are five or six year veterans."

Mr. Castle moved as swiftly and as silently as a shadow as he stepped towards Ten'oh. He leaned down right next to her, "You want to know my qualifications, _Sargent_? I was working black ops in the former Soviet Union while you were sucking on your mama's _tit_. I have done things that you could only imagine, Ten'oh. I have killed people who were twice the combat expert you _think_ you are. Don't you dare think to lecture me about how I'm not qualified to lead you and your little bullshit brigade. Your commissioner may have tolerated your insubordination but I will not. If you don't like it, feel free to leave your badge by the door on your way out." He stood and addressed the whole room, "I'll keep this simple.. I am here to train you into a special ops team because your commissioner asked me to. Our job is to find out who is filtering all of these wonderful drugs and arms into this country and stop them. Each of you, with few exceptions, is the best in your chosen field. I will be speaking with you individually to give you your occupations. After that, you may stay here for the night or return to your homes. Either way, you are to report to Dock 14 slip 9 tomorrow morning at 0500 hours, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." came the reply.

Mr Castle walked back to the front of the room and selected a file from his briefcase, "Probationary Officer Tomoe, sing out."

Hotaru stood, "Yes sir."

"Come with me."

Hotaru followed him out of the room and into the warehouse itself, "Welcome to my office." he declared.

"You wished to see me, sir?"

"First of all, due to the nature of your assignment, you have been promoted to the rank of Corporal." He handed her a chevron, "Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir."

"I read in your file that you were the best in marksmanship in the academy. Your first assignment is to be Dr. Mizuno's bodyguard."

"Sir?"

"Once we get underway with our mission, she will be at the top of everybody's hit list. You are to accompany her everywhere she goes and keep an eye out while she works. If you see anything suspicious, you are to pull her out, even if she's in the middle of an investigation. If she bitches, tell her where your orders come from and she can come to me."

"Yes, sir."

"You have your orders, Corporal. I'll see you at 0500 tomorrow. And send Tsukino to me."

l-l-l-l

Usagi poked her head around the boxes, "Yes, sir?"

"Tsukino. Head of violent crimes. How is your daughter?"

Usagi was considerably disturbed that this man knew so much about her, even information that wasn't in her file, "How do you know about her, sir?"

"I like to learn about people, Lieutenant. So that I may know how to work with them effectively. Because of the nature of the task we have been assigned. I would very highly recommend that you send your daughter to live with your parents for the time being. The danger to the families of our coworkers is immense. We are dealing with dangerous people here, Tsukino. That is why, for the time being and for her safety, I'll have to separate the two of you. I'm sure you agree."

Usagi's head spun, "For her safety?"

"That's right."

"And temporarily?"

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, yes."

"Unforeseen circumstances, such as..."

"The nature of our work is very dangerous, more so than regular police work. We'll be going up against people who have had their way for entirely too long and will not like anybody moving into their territory. The risk of danger to ourselves and to our families is incredible. You, Lieutenant, stand to lose the most. There is a chance you will be killed during our operations. As your ranking superior, I will try to keep you and your daughter as safe as possible but I can make no guarantees. If you feel that I'm asking too much of you, feel free to leave. There will be no consequences if you decide to back out but the decision must be made now."

"You told Sargent Ten'oh that you would discharge her if she left." Usagi objected

"I told Sargent Ten'oh that if she was insubordinate again, I would discharge her. Sargent Ten'oh doesn't have children that need to be protected, you do. I will not punish you for doing what you think is best. Whatever you decide, I'll respect it."

Usagi was silent as she thought. She tried to think of what her Mamoru would do in this situation. To back out now would be ensuring Chibi-Usa's safety...for now. To continue would be to ensure Chibi-Usa's, and many other children's, safety for the rest of their lives. What was the gain without risk, "I'll send Chibi-Usa to live with my parents. For the time being."

"Very well. That will be all, Lieutenant. I'll see you tomorrow at 0600."

"Not 0500?"

"I'm offering you some leeway to get your daughter to your parents. I realize that 0400 is an ungodly hour to drag a child from their bed."


	4. Chapter 4

Boats knocked heavily against the pier pilings in the choppy water. A storm was brewing of the coast and would make landfall by dusk. Castle didn't care. He and his crew would be at their new base long before noon. He sat, sipping coffee, as he waited for them to arrive.

The crew seemed capable enough, if a little hotheaded, but, then again, there wasn't really a way to tell until things started to go down. That would separate the metaphorical men from the boys.

Sumisu had given him compete autonomy concerning how he ran his crew. If he chose to discharge somebody, they would be discharged. The only thing he couldn't have was any drugs that they confiscated. Weapons and money were for his crew, they had to be funded some way.

He had ordered new everything, from vehicles to weapons to uniforms. They were, in no way, to be associated with the T.M.P.D. Hiro had made that quite clear in the letter.

Chimes and beeps rang out as the proximity sensors alerted him to someone's approach. He checked his watch and it was still half an hour before his crew was due to arrive. He pressed a button on the wall and the Lazy Susan in the cabinetry swung open to reveal a security monitor. The picture showed the heat signature of a single person, female by the body shape, keeping a steady pace towards his boat. He watched as a second heat signature, another female, hurried to catch up.

These were probably two members of his new crew, early birds by the looks of things. However, he was not one to take unnecessary risks and made sure he had his pistol loaded before stepping out onto the stern of his boat. He could see the two forms quite clearly. They chatted amongst themselves as they approached. He recognized the voices of Dr. Mizuno and Corporal Tomoe.

Without looking, he switched his spotlight from the white halogen to the red L. and shown it on them. Mizuno froze but Tomoe, with speed that even he couldn't track, had her side arm drawn, cocked, and had taken a bead on the light.

"Well done, Tomoe." he complimented, "You have reacted accordingly but stand awaiting further information before you open fire."

"Is that you, Mr. Castle?" Dr. Mizuno called out.

"Well, it certainly isn't Santa Clause. Come aboard."

As they climbed aboard, Castle stopped Ami, "Let's see it."

She quietly opened her coat to reveal the body armor she wore.

"Good girl. I know it's not the most comfortable garment but it will protect you."

"Yes sir. But, this isn't Kevlar. Just canvas and ceramic plates."

"Right. The ceramic is cheaper to replace and capable of stopping heavy caliber rounds."

"Such as?"

Without replying, Castle stepped to the other side of the boat, turned, and fired a round into Ami's chest, knocking her off of her feet and to the deck.

Hotaru drew her gun again, "Drop the weapon and put your hands on your head." she commanded.

Castle fixed her with a smile, "Relax, Corporal. And put your weapon away." He turned his attention to Ami, "Are you hurt, Doctor?"

Ami groaned as she sat up. Reaching into the pocket that held one of the ceramic plates, she extracted it to find the bullet lodged inside, "That's a fifty caliber round." she gasped.

"Right. At this range, a fifty cal. would have punched right through Kevlar without slowing down."

Ami set the plate aside and rubbed at the sore spot on her chest. There was going to be a bruise there in a few hours, "You could have just said that, you know."

"I doubt you would have believed me."

"Well, it's a handy bit of information to have for the next time I'm hanging around in a shooting gallery. And, since when do handguns come in the fifty caliber?"

Castle held up the large and heavy gun, "This is a Desert Eagle. Israeli made."

"I should have known."

They followed him into the cabin of the boat and he offered coffee while they waited for the rest of the force.

"Two sugars and a cream." Ami said

"Black." Hotaru answered.

Castle winked at her, "Are you sure? This is Navy coffee. It's a bit stronger than what you're probably used to."

"I've had police coffee. That's like nuclear-charged swamp water."

He chuckled as he handed her the cup, "Well, little miss nuclear-charged swamp water, meet Fusion."

Hotaru took a sip and grimaced at the taste.

"Strong?"

She nodded.

"Cream or sugar?"

She shook her head.

"A girl after my own heart." He chuckled as he returned to his seat at the table.

"Mr. Castle, I've been wondering-" Ami began.

"A fine and dying art in this day and age." Castle commented.

"Yes sir. But, what is it that we're supposed to do?"

"Follow orders, to begin with. Drugs and weapons have been filtering into this country for the past decade. This is what has given rise to the current crime situation. Our job is to find out who's letting these things into the country and stop them. These people are indirectly responsible for the rapes and murders that have spiked in recent years. Your government is convinced that if we cut off the head of the viper, it will kill the rest of the body. A trickle-down effect, if you will."

"But you aren't?"

"I've been to places where much the same things have occurred. Politicians get greedy and corrupt, that's their job. Like it or not, drugs are here to stay. And things will never return to the way they were. The best we can work for is to keep them from getting worse."

"So you're pro-drug?" Hotaru asked with just a hint of accusation in her voice.

"They obviously cause a great deal of damage. I'm pro-logic. You will never be able to keep people from trying to achieve an altered state of consciousness. If you found a way to take away all of the drugs in the world, so that there would be no more ever again, people would spin around on their lawns until they fell down and saw God. Prohibition does _not_ work, people. It has _never_ worked. I don't know why people continue to believe that, _this time_, it will work. You cannot simply place laws that forbid the use of drugs, or guns, and expect a utopia. Criminals will break those laws, it's kind of a requirement."

"You seem to have a pessimistic attitude, Mr. Castle." Ami observed, taking a sip of her coffee.

"No, Dr. Mizuno. I have a realistic attitude. There is a difference. Listen, the world is a shitty place to live, no matter where you go. Some places are less shitty than others but they're all shitty. You cannot change the world by passing laws and hoping for the best. Hope is for the weak and faint of heart. _Sic vis pacum parabellum._"

"What?" Hotaru asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"If you want peace," Ami translated, "prepare for war. You speak Latin?"

"I'm a Harvard-trained linguist." Castle replied, "As you can probably tell, Japanese is not my native tongue. I'm conversant in twelve different languages."

"I've only mastered three. With bits and pieces of a few others."

Castle didn't seem to be paying attention as he looked out towards the stern of the boat, "Someone's coming."

"Probably the rest of the group." Hotaru observed.

The alarms didn't ring out. He had turned them off, but a well-honed sixth sense had told him about the newcomers. He stepped out onto the stern and startled Sargents Ten'oh and Kai'oh, "And so they came, two by two."

"Good morning, Mr. Castle."

"Good morning Sargent Kai'oh. Please, step aboard my humble boat." He replied, his voice dripping with sarcastic gallantry.

Haruka tapped him on the shoulder, "A word, please?" They quietly stepped off to the side while Michiru watched.

"We'll only be a moment." Castle called to her, "There's coffee inside, help yourself." He returned his attention to Haruka, "Yes, Sargent?"

"Sir, I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night." Haruka smiled sheepishly, "We've all been under quite a bit of stress and tension."

"Understood."

"Thank you, sir." She made to go into the cabin.

"Sargent. I don't think I should have to state that public displays of affection should be kept to a minimum."

She turned, "What do you mean?"

"You and Sargent Kai'oh."

"Sir, Sargent Kai'oh and I are not together."

"Well, no. Not at the moment."

"There's no relationship, sir." Haruka lied.

"Right." Castle drawled, "Pull the other one, it has bells on it."

Haruka paused, "How did you-"

"Find out? I watch people, Sargent Ten'oh. It's something I do very well. For the entire duration of last night's meeting, you were never more than an arm's reach from Sargent Kai'oh."

"That doesn't mean anything." Haruka replied defensively."

"Well, no, you have a point. But the other tell was you just admitted it to me."

She blinked in shock, "Please don't tell anyone."

"I won't if you don't."

The rest of the crew appeared in singles, trickling in throughout the rest of the quarter hour and still they waited.

"I think we're missing someone." Makoto observed.

"Big surprise there." Haruka muttered.

"What was that, Sargent?"

"Come on, sir. Tsukino is late for everything."

"For your information, Ten'oh. _Lieutenant _Tsukino has my permission to be late so that she may drop her daughter off with her parents."

"Wish _I _could have that kind of power." Haruka muttered again.

"Well, pop a kid out and we'll talk about it. And I could have _swor_nI warned you about the insubordination."

"Yes, sir." Haruka conceded

"The insubordination stops now, final warning. Do it again and it's your badge."

"You can't do that!" Michiru cried in righteous indignation.

"No? Well then, ask Commissioner Sumisu about the full autonomy that I have concerning this task force. Ask him about how I have his full backing in any and all decisions I make. Trust me, Sargent Kai'oh, I can discharge anybody I want for any reason I want. My decisions are as final as the Commissioner's and, if you don't believe me, I invite you to test me."

"Sorry I'm late, everyone." Usagi breezed as she swept aboard the boat and into the cabin.

"Lieutenant Tsukino, you're earlier than I expected you. I trust you saw your daughter to your parents' safely?"

"Yes sir."

"And this caused no inconvenience?"

"No sir. They dote upon her and spoil her. I have no doubt that when all of this is said and done, she'll be the proud owner of that pony she's always wanted."

Castle laughed, "Such is the job of the grandparent. Before my niece was born, my father, indeed, bought her a pony."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. We all thought my sister was going to give birth right there in the kitchen. Do you know why grandparents and grandchildren get along so well?"

Usagi shook her head, "No."

"Because they share a common enemy."


	5. Chapter 5

They all stared up the side of the massive oil tanker that had been retrofitted to serve as one part of their new base.

"This is ours?" Rei asked

"Yes." said Castle, "Can the furred one climb ladders?"

"Not like that." She replied as Loki stared at the vertical ladder that ran from the temporary dock to the deck of the ship."

"Well then, we shall have to find another way for him to get aboard. Do you have his harness?"

Rei held up the leather harness, "With a tensile strength of 300 kilos. He likes to pull."

"Strap him in while I speak to Sargent Kai'oh, please." He turned to Michiru and indicated the only other boat moored to the dock, "This is your new ride, Sargent."

Michiru hurried across the dock to the boat and boarded it. The boat's sleek hull rose high out of the water, practically eliminating drag from the waves. It boasted twin Mercury engines with one hundred and fifty horsepower a piece and a top speed of two hundred knots or about ninety miles an hour. Dangerously fast for a boat.

Michiru examined every inch of the boat, working the beacons and sirens, playing with the spotlights and looking like a child on Christmas morning who had just opened her new favorite toy. She actually giggled as she spun the wheel and watched the engines turn in unison.

Rei called Castle back over, "He's ready. What do you intend to do?"

He signaled the ship and a chain began to lower towards them, "Teach him to fly, of course." He hooked the chain to a ring on Loki's harness and, with another signal, the dog began to rise off of the boat and up the side of the ship. Only when he was about thirty feet in the air, watching his mistress getting smaller and smaller, did he begin to yelp and howl in fear.

"Knock it off," Rei called up to him, "you're fine." She turned to Castle, "He's going to be fine, right?"

"Oh, of course, but you might want to meet him up there so he doesn't get into mischief."

Rei scurried up the ladder, trying to keep pace with the world's first flying dog. The others hurried in her wake.

"What about our bags?" Ami asked.

"My crew will bring them up shortly."

l-l-l-l

"Ten'oh!" Castle called out after they were all safely on board the tanker. Rei was deep in the task of mopping up Loki's urine. His little way of showing his displeasure at the way he had been handled.

"Yes, sir."

"Come see your new wings."

The pair of helicopters that sat on the bow of the ship were being tied down in preparation for the coming storm. Castle led Haruka to the largest of the two.

"Don't tell me that's a UH-60." She was awestruck.

"Do you have a problem with the Blackhawks, Sargent?"

"_No_ sir. I've always wanted to fly one but I never dreamed I'd get a chance to."

"Well, Ten'oh. Your chance is now."

"Can I take her up?"

Castle laughed, "Absolutely not, Sargent. At least, not right now. Didn't you see the weather reports, there's a typhoon coming in that's due to make landfall in a few hours. With these crosswinds, going up now would be suicide. But, don't wet yourself, your chance will come soon enough."

"And what about the smaller one?"

The smaller one was an AH-1 "Little Bird" attack helicopter, "You'd have a better chance in the Blackhawk. The Little Birds are fickle when it comes to loads and balance. Besides, she's mine. However, I might let you take a ride and see what she can pull."

Haruka surprised Castle with a hug, "Thank you. I love you." Suddenly realizing what she had just done, Haruka leaped back and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, "Sorry, sir." she mumbled.

l-l-l-l

After a brief tour of the ship that was to be their new home for the time being, Castle led them into the galley were their uniforms and weapons awaited, "Each of you will be carrying the Heckler and Koch MP-10 as primary weapons." He informed them, "The only exceptions will be Dr. Mizuno who will be armed with an Uzi 9mm so that she may hide it in her toolbox and Ms. Meioh who will be armed with the Beretta 9mm"

He hefted an odd looking apparatus that looked much like a space-age rifle but with a camera where the barrel should be, "I love these things. This is a Cornershot. Developed by Israeli police forces for the urban combat they do over there. The Cornershot has this camera and viewfinder assembly and can be turned ninety degrees either left or right," he demonstrated, "allowing you to hit any threat, as well as check for hidden threats, without leaving your cover. It can handle a M-22 grenade launcher, a modified M-16 assault rifle, or, your side arm, a Beretta 9mm handgun."

"Can't we simply use the side arms we were issued?" Minako objected.

"No. We are to be, in no way, associated with the T.M.P.D. We are a completely autonomous entity. Any weapons and money that are found we are allowed to keep but any drugs must be turned in to the authorities."

"Sir." said Hotaru, "If Sargents Ten'oh and Kai'oh have new vehicles, does that mean the same for us? Do the rest of us get vehicles as well?"

"A very good question, Corporal. Your new vehicles are waiting for you back at the warehouse and there they will stay until we need them. They are unmarked Chevrolet Impalas, favored by law enforcement in America for their speed, power and handling. Dr. Mizuno, because of the nature of her work, will have an armored hearse for her transportation."

"That seems a bit like an omen." Ami commented.

"Let us hope," replied Castle, "that the vehicle you drive to work will not be the one that drives you to the cemetery."

l-l-l-l

Castle led the day's run at an easy jogging pace and seemed to be completely at ease. Haruka, Makoto, Hotaru, Michiru, and Usagi, easily, kept pace with him with Rei and Loki lagging only a little. He looked back over his shoulder and spotted Ami and Setsuna struggling along a solid ten paces behind the group, "Too long behind a desk, ladies?"

Setsuna wheezed a reply under her breath as Ami seemed to find her second wind and rejoined the group. They had spent the past few minutes jogging laps around the ship. Castle said he'd go easy on them, only a mile and a half to begin with. He had promised them that, by the time he was done with them and they would be mission ready, they would be able to run a full five miles without breaking a sweat. This was the fitness routine he had planned which, along with the strength training and conditioning, would, according to him, mimic Naval basic training.

The final leg of the run took them down into the ship to the fitness room. Rows of weight benches and weight racks stood against one wall with treadmills, seated-row machines, and chin-up bars gathered towards the center of the room. Mirrors lined the walls on all sides.

"Apart from this, we also have a basketball court, an Olympic-sized pool, and a Gaming Room, for those of you who are interested."

"Recreational Facilities?" Ami asked dubiously.

"'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'. Besides, you're going to need some way to blow off steam. All Facilities are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and are ready when you are. I want everybody, that includes you Ms. Meioh, to be in top physical condition, none of that big-bone and baby-fat bullshit. When you're not exercising your minds, I want you exercising your bodies, is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!" they chorused.

"Splendid. I have much to attend to so I shall leave you to your own devices."

"Should we be ready to deploy, sir?" Hotaru asked.

"You should _always_ be ready to deploy, Corporal. However, with this storm coming, I doubt we'll be needed for the time being. Crime tends to drop when the weather is foul, or, haven't you noticed?"

"I haven't been on the force long enough to notice, sir." She replied.

"Well, the one good thing about having a novice is that I can train you _my_ way." Castle departed like a gust of wind.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Hotaru asked no one in particular.

l-l-l-l

Wind, rain, and surf battered at the ship which, because of it's size, did not relinquish an inch. Ami was quietly sitting at an examination table in her lab, inventorying all of the supplies at her disposal. She liked to be prepared and able to find anything she needed. Her notes consisted of item, location, and quantity. Her new computer was a beautiful state-of-the-art Toshiba, a huge improvement over the dinosaur she worked with at the old lab. Off to one side was a small range where she could do ballistics testing. She sighed as she sat up and stretched. She had sat, hunched over like this, for the past few hours and her back was beginning to tighten up

l-l-l-l

Rei and Loki were on adjacent treadmills in the fitness room. The enclosed ship and foul weather kept them from being able to do their daily walk out of doors. Loki had been a little sullen with her since the "flying dog" incident this morning. A gust of wind had kicked up right at the wrong moment and had caused him to start swinging. That was when he had really begun to panic. When he had finally reached her, he gave her a Look while he pissed on the deck. The message was very clear, _I am very upset with you, Mistress Hino. Don't do that again._

l-l-l-l

Setsuna was in the ship's library, which had an impressive collection of books of law. Already, she was going through stacks of three or four at a time, making notes on any precedence that had any relevance to her occupation in this task force. Which was to make sure that everything was done by the book. She was to be the group's personal lawyer. Anybody that they apprehended would go up against her when their case made it to trial. She had her work cut out for her, which was fine. She liked a challenge.

l-l-l-l

Makoto was in the ship's kitchen with Hotaru. The ship had a minimum of crew and did not include anyone to feed everyone else. Luckily for them, both women enjoyed cooking as a bit of a hobby. Perhaps Castle had planned it this way, or, perhaps not. They were beginning to learn that it was not wise to second guess the man. He was just _full_ of surprises.

l-l-l-l

"He's just full of surprises." Michiru murmured as she straddled Haruka. Castle had made certain that they had a cabin together and he had, considerately, soundproofed it.

"I think you like him better than me." Haruka pouted.

"Well, to be honest, I've always wondered what it would be like to _be_ with a man. Haven't you?" Michiru commented lightly and received a pillow to the face for her troubles.

l-l-l-l

Usagi leaned over Minako's shoulder and stared at the computer screen, "What are you doing?"

"Looking up information on our new boss. Apparently, he isn't what he seems to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Check it out." She leaned back so Usagi could see the information as well, "Mr. Castle's real name is Terrance Edward Clark. He became 'Jacob Castle' when he was recruited into the American Central Intelligence Agency."

"The C.I.A? That would mean he's a-"

"A field spook. A spy."

"Sent here for us? Aren't America and Japan allies?"

"You know the old saying, 'Keep your friends far away and your enemies next door.'" 

"I think you mean, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' How does that relate to us?"

"They're watching us. But, back to the point. Clark was in the U.S. Navy and the S.E.A.L.s."

"I know about the Navy but who are the S.E.A.L.s?"

"The Navy's special operations group. They work black ops, doing things that they'll take to their graves. He was recruited by the C.I.A after his family was murdered. Wife and two children."

"Three."

Startled, both women turned to see Clark eclipsing the light from the corridor, "How much did you hear?" Usagi asked.

"Enough. How did you get in there?"

"I have my ways." Minako replied, smugly.

"Impressive. I was told you were good with computers but hacking into the C.I.A.'s mainframe is really a display of talent. Now, get out of there. I just received a call from my old boss, Deputy Director of Intelligence Hamilton about somebody on my server being inside the firewall. They're tracking you, Detective Aino."

Minako shut down the computer as Clark turned to leave, "Terrance." Usagi called.

Clark stopped in mid-stride, "It would be wise to forget about everything you've just read. Should any of that information leak, the consequences will be...severe."

"What happened to your family?"

"Murdered."

"You said you had three children."

"My daughter was twelve. My son was ten. And my wife was pregnant. I found out about it after the autopsy. According to her friends, she had been planning to tell me that night. I watched every single one of those bastards walk because of 'lack of evidence' or some bullshit like that. I tracked every one of them down, hunted them like vermin, and killed them. Tell me, Lieutenant Tsukino, do you know what happens to a man's body when you lock him in a decompression chamber, raise the pressure slowly, and, suddenly, drop the pressure?"

Usagi shook her head.

"I do." He replied, darkly.


	6. Chapter 6

Usagi led the day's run. After five months of the intense training and conditioning, she was in the best shape she had ever been and feeling the best she ever felt and she could see the others had mutual feelings. Haruka, Rei, and Makoto had bulked up a bit while Setsuna, Minako, and Hotaru had lost their "baby fat." and Ami and Michiru began displaying toned, solid muscle.

The crew had grown closer during their stay aboard the ship. Everyone was becoming casual acquaintances if not friends. Haruka and Michiru had taken young Hotaru under their wings, teaching her about their occupations. Even now, as Usagi watched the Blackhawk thunder past, flying low, she could see Hotaru at the controls with Haruka gently guiding her. They had become almost like a family.

The only exception was Clark, who remained an enigma within a mystery within a puzzle. He was friendly enough but always seemed a bit reserved. The more she learned about him, Usagi realized, the less she knew.

Recently, they had returned to the city to visit with their families. Usagi had taken Clark along to meet with her's. She had figured that him meeting her daughter might draw him out of his shell a little. Chibiusa had been a little shy with him but, the moment he had drawn her into a bearish hug, she had taken to him and the two had played quite a bit throughout the day.

"He's single, you know." said her mother, who had taken to playing matchmaker, "And he gets along so well with Chibiusa."

"He's also old enough to be my father." Usagi had pointed out.

"Age is only a number, dear."

"I don't think so. He's a wonderful man who cares about us and is devoted to his work but, there's really no romantic feelings there. He's just not interested and neither am I."

And she still wasn't. Clark was her boss and, though he was friendly enough, she didn't see beyond that.

As they ended the run, she turned to her group, really only Setsuna, Rei, and Minako and, of course, Rei's second shadow, Loki. They had all taken to running at different times, according to work schedules and personal preferences. Some ran in groups, like her's. Others ran alone but they all logged the same number of laps, "Okay, girls. That's enough running for today. Er...see you later."

Usagi went down to the fitness room, intent on raising her maximum weight and doing a few more reps on the bench press. She found Ami, who had become a bit of a fitness nut, doing stomach-crunches while dangling, upside-down, from the chin-up bar. She held a large and heavy textbook to the back of her head for a little extra weight. Ami had taken to wearing Spandex cycling shorts and a sport bra whenever she worked out, which exposed her drum-flat belly, which was beginning to show definition.

"Don't overdo it." Usagi warned.

"Don't worry...I'm just...going to do...a few more." Ami panted between reps, "What are... you...going to...do?"

"Bench."

"Need...a...spot?"

A "spot" was a person who assisted the trainer on the weights. They loaded the weights, helped if there was too much weight, and urged the trainer along. To be spotted by Ami was along the same lines of being trained by a military Drill Instructor. One really couldn't make out what she was saying through her screaming, raving, and swearing. It was actually funny to listen to the petite doctor, who didn't weigh a hundred and thirty pounds, soaking wet, swearing a blue streak and screaming like a demon, so long as it wasn't you she was screaming and cursing at. Usagi never took offense to what Ami said whenever she spotted her because she knew the doctor, who was quite shy and reserved, was only trying to help, "Why not?"

"Okay...Give me...a minute." Ami extended her arms and dropped the book before grabbing the bar, tucking her legs against her chest, and rolling upright. She went over to the stereo and selected a CD, one of Haruka's. Rock music, from an American Metal band called _Slipknot,_ began to blast through the speakers.

Usagi tightened her leather, fingerless, gloves that protected the palms of her hands from the rough metal of the bar and braced her wrists, laid back on the bench and felt her chest and shoulder muscles strain as they took up the weight.

l-l-l-l

"Okay, come around to point three-zero-niner and set her down." Haruka instructed.

Hotaru complied, pulling up on the cyclic and rocking the chopper to a halt.

"Whoa, whoa" Haruka cried, "Stop right there."

"What? What's wrong?"

"There's a crosswind coming in from the north. It'll push you right into the Little Bird. Circle around and try again but a little slower so you can compensate. Remember to keep your R.P.M's over six thousand."

Hotaru tried a second time, landing the helicopter with a jarring thud.

"Not bad. A little harder than what I would have liked but not bad for your first time."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry. You did better than I did, my first time. I almost wrecked."

"I _did_ almost wreck."

"No you didn't, you were no where near the Little Bird. Don't be so hard on yourself, that's my job."

"Thanks for training me." Hotaru said as she pulled off her helmet and undid the restraints, "I never knew flying a chopper would be so...so fun."

"And now, you know why I wouldn't do anything else." Haruka handed her a disk, "I want you to log three hours a night on this simulator, along with the training we'll be doing, if you want your certification."

"You'll help me get it?"

"If you work hard, I'll have no problem."

An alarm went off throughout the ship. They had trained for this. It was the call to action.

l-l-l-l

The Situation Room was an oblong, bare walled, place where the only furnishings were a large table, chairs and a podium. This was where the briefing took place, "We've received a tip about a potential terrorist attack on the Kyoto shopping complex." Clark began, passing out files, "An unknown number of gunmen have entered the mall and the attack will commence at thirteen hundred hours. Ten'oh, you'll be ferrying our team and the equipment to the mainland. Aino, Kino, Hino, Mizuno, and Tomoe will make up the team with Tsukino designated Team Leader. After you drop them off, I want you to head to the mall and remain on station until I say otherwise. Kai'oh will be on the harbor, keeping an eye on small craft trying to get out. I'll be shadowing her in the Little Bird. Sargent Kai'oh, you will hail them first and, if they don't respond, I'll sink them. If anyone sees anything suspicious, radio for backup but do not make yourselves known before backup arrives. This will be done by the book unless Tsukino or I judge otherwise. No uniforms, we'll be going plainclothes but with armor and concealed weapons. You have your orders."


	7. Chapter 7

Usagi pressed the transmit button on her headset, keying the comm, "Team one, radio check."

"This is Mizuno and Tomoe, south end by the Food Court. Nothing so far." Ami replied.

"Aino here, West end, by the elevator. All clear."

"This is Hino on the North side. I've got nothing."

"Kino, heading for Security. I'll let them know what's going on."

"Copy that, Sargent." Usagi replied, "Keep us posted."

"Copy."

Usagi hung out next to a trendy apparel store, trying to look nonchalant while watching everyone. She hoped beyond hope that this would turn out to be another drill or some idiot's idea of a joke, "Kino, come in. Have you reached security?"

Silence.

"Tsukino to Kino, do you copy? Have you reached Security?"

Nothing.

"Sargent Kino, respond."

"This is Kino. I have three uniforms down."

"Copy that. Eyes out, people. We have a code one, this isn't a drill, repeat, this isn't a drill."

"Mizuno and Tomoe, all clear."

"Roger that, Lead. Hino has nothing."

"Aino. I have a suspicious individual. Request immediate backup by the sporting goods."

Usagi began to hurry towards the West end of the mall. Her heart was racing and adrenaline pumping, "Copy that, Aino. Take cover until backup arrives."

"This is Hino, I have two suspects by the restrooms."

"Mizuno has two outside the Food Court, request backup."

In response, automatic gunfire erupted from the East end of the mall, behind Usagi. Time seemed to stop at the general murmur of the crowds ceased and everyone froze. Usagi took the moment to double back as a second burst thundered from the North end and pandemonium ensued.

"This is Hino. We have gunfire at the North end. Where's my backup?"

"I've got gunfire here on the East. Everyone take cover. Lethal force is authorized. Repeat, lethal force is a go. Kino, where the hell are you?"

"I'm coming out on the south end. I'll back Aino up."

"Copy that, be careful."

Usagi drew her MP-10. She spotted the gunman who was spraying down the front of the store she had just left with a wicked looking assault rifle. Already, six bodies, some unrecognizable from the bullet wounds, were scattered around the store's entrance. She ducked down behind a concrete planter and opened fire. Her sub-machine gun chattered as it spat a three round burst, slamming into the gunman's back. He took notice but didn't drop. He had to have been wearing body armor.

Slowly, he turned, changing his empty magazine from a belt load of full ones with practiced, professional ease. She fired again, the impact of the rounds knocking him back a few steps. She aimed a little higher and fired the next burst. The gunman's mask kept most of the mess contained as he flung out his arms melodramatically, _Look Ma, I'm Dead,_ and tumbled to the floor.

l-l-l-l

Hotaru and Ami had taken cover behind a couple of overturned tables, trading fire with two of the gunman.

"We need to get around behind them." Hotaru muttered.

"Cover me."

Ami darted out from behind the tables, racing for a low wall as Hotaru began to lay down cover fire. She didn't see the second gunman begin to shadow the doctor until he fired. Ami went down with a shriek of pain as her knee exploded

"We have an officer down." Hotaru cried into her mike, "Repeat, officer down."

"Copy, Hotaru." Usagi replied, "I'm inbound to your position, should be there in a couple of minutes. Keep cover until I arrive."

"Negative, Lieutenant. Mizuno's exposed. I gotta get her."

"That's a negative, wait until I arrive. That's an order."

"Maybe I should apologize now." Hotaru replied as she switched her MP-10 to full automatic and hosed the gunmen, dropping both. She bolted from behind the tables, seized Ami under the arms and dragged the doctor back behind the tables.

Ami's left knee was shattered. Hotaru could see bits of bone and cartilage exposed by the round. Blood gushed from the wound. Carefully tearing off the hem of her shirt, Hotaru bound the wound as tightly as she could. Already, blood was beginning to soak through the fabric. She switched channels on her radio, "Team One to Bird One."

"This is Bird One, go ahead." Haruka replied from her chopper, high over the mall.

"Bird One, we have officer down. Request that you call emergency services."

"Copy that, Team One. E.M.S is already inbound."

"Ten-four." Hotaru looked down at Ami, who was struggling to sit upright, "I've gotta cover Rei but Usagi should be here shortly. You gonna be alright by yourself for a minute?"

"I'm not a child and I can shoot with the best of them. Don't worry about me."

"Alright. Don't go anywhere."

"Oh, I don't think I'll be going very far at all for a while."

Hotaru grinned and took off, opting for the service hallways, which would be a faster, if less direct, route.

"This is Hino. My two are down."

"Copy, Hino. Aino and Kino are clear."

"Copy." Usagi replied, "Tomoe, What's your twenty?"

"I'm in service corridor twelve, near the loading bay, inbound to Hino's twenty."

"Copy. I'll cover Mizuno until evac arrives."

Something gave Hotaru pause. A white box truck was backed into one of the loading docks but wasn't unloading. Something made her uneasy about this truck.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Hotaru turned to see a large man, the load manager she assumed, come stomping up to her.

"Are you the driver of this truck? I've got three trucks trying to get in here and offload. You can't leave this here."

Hotaru eyed the padlock, a heavy, steel block, "I need to get into the back."

"I'll say. Offload or-" The man stuttered to a halt as Hotaru seized his shirt.

"Haven't you heard? A bunch of terrorists just shot up the mall."

"B-but."

"What if they brought something worse than guns? I _need_ to get into this truck."

The manager eyed the lock, "I'll get a drill."

Hotaru hefted the heavy drill. She liked the look of the industrial bit and turned the drill to the lock, powered it, and began to bore into the steel.

"Hey! Keep away from that!" Someone shouted. She looked up to see a man running at her from the far side of the loading bay. She ignored him and continued with her work, ignoring the tiny stabs of steel as the bounced off her arms and face. The lock disintegrated under the bit and she rolled up the truck's door. Inside, stacked floor to ceiling and nearly filling the truck, was brick upon brick upon brick of military-grade plastic explosive.

Hotaru began to panic as she spotted the detonator switch and timer, a normal kitchen timer that measured out an hour.

Tick. She had three minutes to disarm the bomb. But that was the problem, she didn't know the first thing about bombs, except that they blew shit up. She climbed into the back, trying to decide which of the two wires embedded in the explosive to pull, and ducked as a bullet hissed over her head and lodged in one of the bricks.

Tick. Two minutes. She couldn't decide if the wires created a circuit or if one was a backup for the other. A high-pitched whine echoed, painfully, in her ears as a second bullet struck the steel and ricocheted away. She felt the third bullet slam into her back like a hellishly-powerful punch, throwing her to the floor.

Tick. One minute. Her decision made, she reached for the detonator as a fourth, or perhaps fifth, bullet joined the third. The chatter of automatic weapons filled the loading bay, signaling the arrival of the Calvary. She wrapped her hand around the entire assembly and took it with her as she tumbled out of the back of the truck.

l-l-l-l

Rei dropped down at Hotaru's side and scooped the younger woman into her arms as Makoto took off after the fleeing gunman. Something warm and sticky trickled down her arm. Blood. Hotaru's blood.

"This is Hino." she radioed, "We have an officer down in the loading bay. We need evac here." She took Hotaru's hand, "Hang in there, kid. We'll get help. You're going to be okay."

"Don't shit me, Rei."

"I wouldn't shit you. You're my favorite bitch." Rei felt Hotaru's chest. The armor should have stopped the rounds. If Castle or Clark or whoever the hell he was had lied about the...Hotaru wasn't wearing any armor. "Hotaru, where's your gear?"

"On the ship." she breathed, "Too bulky. Didn't think I'd need it."

"Kid, that's a dumb ass rookie mistake. You're lucky it's me and not Haruka down here. She'd kick your ass for disobeying a order."

"Sorry. It won't happen again."

Hotaru's breathing was quick and shallow. Rei could hear the fluid building up in her lungs, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. A few weeks in the hospital and you're back up with the best of us."

Hotaru let out a tiny sigh.

"Hotaru. Hotaru?"

Hotaru didn't reply. And her vacant stare told Rei that she never would again. Rei examined the explosives in the back of the truck. There was more than enough back there to level half of the mall, killing everyone inside. Hotaru had given her life to save countless others.

Usagi rushed up with the paramedics, "Ami's on her way to Kyoto General." she announced without preamble. "How's Hotaru?"

Rei simply shook her head as she used the heel of her hand to close Hotaru's eyes.

l-l-l-l

"Bird One to Bird Two. I have suspects fleeing in a late model van." Haruka radioed

"Bird Two copies, One." Clark replied. "I'm inbound to your twenty. E.T.A. six minutes. Shadow them until I arrive."

"That's a Ten-Ten, Two. I'll see your shadow and raise you a blow-them-off-the-fucking-road." Shoving down on her cyclic, Haruka forced the helicopter into a steep dive. She flew not a dozen feet above the pavement as she pursued the van. The rear doors opened and the nightmare muzzle of an AK-47 stuck out at her, spitting rounds into her bird.

Haruka half hung out of the side as she returned fire with her MP-10. The van shot under an overpass and she yanked back on the cyclic. The chopper rocketed up, over, and down the other side. Ringing echoed throughout her chopper as bullets tore through the light steel, one ripping a softball-sized chunk out of her thigh. "I'm hit!" she cried, "Bird One is hit."

"Copy that, One. Can you make it back to base or are you going to mash my bird?"

"I need medical." Haruka replied. There was blood all over the cockpit.

"Copy, One. Set her down at Base Two. E.M.S will meet you there."


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: I'd like to thank UH-60 NIGHTSTALKER for pointing out that MH-6 is the designation for the "Little Bird" not AH-1. For anyone interested, AH-1 is the designation for the "Cobra"._

Usagi sat in the Situation Room, waiting for Clark. They had a job to do and one that she had performed many times but that she did not relish. They were to go and inform Segatchi Tomoe of his daughter's tragic death.

Clark had already debriefed her, Rei, Makoto, Minako, and Michiru. Haruka and Ami would have to wait until they were out of surgery and lucid enough to answer his questions. The damage to Ami's knee had been extensive, crippling her. She would never again be able to walk without the aid of a crutch. Haruka hadn't fared any better. The bullet that had torn through her thigh had taken a sizable piece of the muscle with it. She couldn't lift her leg and would have to wear a brace. Probably for the rest of her life. Clark was considering excusing both from the force, due to their injuries but, at Usagi's urging, had decided to leave the final decision to them.

Clark stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, "You know, you don't have to do this. I can take care of it."

Usagi stood, straightened her blouse, and tucked her hat beneath her arm. She looked like a proper police Lieutenant, "I don't have to, but I will."

l-l-l-l

Haruka came awake to see Michiru staring down at her, concern etched in the woman's face, "You're so beautiful." She mumbled.

"And you're so high." Michiru replied, stroking Haruka's cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"I didn't know drugs could be so wonderful. I can't feel a _thing_."

"Clark wants to speak with you."

"I'll bet he does. Tell Ol' Clarkie that I'll be in there first thing in the morning."

Michiru giggled, "I think it'll take a little longer than that."

"Oh, well. Tell him I might be a little late." Haruka sobered some, "I heard a couple of others went down."

"Yes. Ami's going to be okay. She's crippled and will need a crutch for the rest of her life but I doubt she'll let something like that stop her. And Hotaru-"

"I hope she's ready for her certification. What about her?"

Michiru's voice softened. It was the same voice she used whenever there was bad news, "She's dead, Haruka. She died disarming a bomb that would have killed hundreds of innocent people. She died a hero."

Haruka shook her head, "She was too young to die. Not even with us a year."

"I know" They both had grown close with the girl.

"It was a privilege to have known her."

"An honor."

"We'll make them pay. The ones who did this."

"Yes."

"I swear to you, Michiru. I'll make them pay."

l-l-l-l

_Hand, Wall, Floor, Hand, Wall, Floor, Hand_: Rei tossed the tennis ball restlessly. She was angry. With Hotaru, for not wearing her armor, with Haruka for letting those bastards get away, and with herself because there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Rei Hino was a woman of action. To her, there was always a solution to every problem, she just had to find it. This stagnant position she found herself in did not suit her whatsoever. At least Loki, who was engrossed with the movements of the Ball, seemed to be enjoying himself.

"She shouldn't have disobeyed orders." Rei finally muttered, "If she had only worn the damn vest, she'd have been fine."

"Should have, would have, could have, but didn't." Makoto replied. She was still smarting, herself, after their failure. "Such is life."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" Minako growled.

"She means such is the way of life. We all make mistakes, we all fuck up." Rei replied.

"We were told to bring our gear."

"She thought she wouldn't need it." said Makoto, "It was a mistake. A rookie mistake but a mistake nonetheless. I'm sure you've made your fair share in your day."

"Not me. I always followed orders."

"Even the ones that didn't make sense?"

"Orders are orders." Minako said with a shrug.

Michiru stepped through the door, having just arrived back from the hospital, "Even the ones that will get you killed?"

"Shut up, you fucking dyke! No one asked your opinion!" Minako shot back.

Michiru glared at her, looking like she was on the verge of either flying into a rage or bursting into tears. Finally, with a snort of disgust, she marched out.

"Y'know, that was uncalled for." Rei growled, "What the hell did she ever do to you?"

"None of your fucking business."

"What the hell is your problem? You're really good at picking on anybody different from you. Fucking _bitch_."

Tension mounted at she two women glared at each other. Finally, with a roar, Minako leaped at Rei, seized her by the collar of her shirt, and began to beat her. Rei kicked, knocking Minako off of her before straddling the blonde and returning the furious beating. Wrapping an arm around Rei's neck, Makoto pulled her off of Minako, who still had a firm grip on Rei's shirt and was hauled up with her, still trading blows.

Loki, sensing his mistress' trouble, followed his training and attacked, biting down on Minako's arm. Screaming, she went down with the snarling dog on top.

"Loki, enough." Rei cried, trying to call the dog back to her. She whistled but he ignored her.

More on instinct than reason, Minako drew her pistol.

"DON'T!"

Loki squealed as Minako fired the gun, the reports deafening in the enclosed room. For a moment, Makoto feared she _had_ gone deaf. Everything was silent as Rei crawled across the floor, shoved a panting, bloodied Minako aside, and checked her still and silent partner.

"You killed him." she hissed, "You've murdered my best friend." She drew her own weapon, "I'LL KILL _YOU_!"

She thumb-cocked the hammer, took careful aim, and fired, right as Makoto tackled her. Minako's hair fluttered as the bullet passed close and dug into the wall. Wrestling with Rei, Makoto managed to pull the gun from her. She dragged Rei over to the heavy table and, with a practiced maneuver, cuffed her to the leg.

"Makoto, what the hell?" Minako cried as Makoto took Rei's set of cuffs and repeated the procedure with the blonde on the far side of the table, "She attacked me."

"_After _you attacked her and killed her partner. Anybody could see that it was in self-defense."

"You're taking her side?"

"'Her side'? What is this, Grammar school? I'm just trying to keep you two from killing each other. It'll be Clark who decides who's right. But, just a word to the wise, I wouldn't get comfortable. I have a feeling you'll both be leaving very soon."

She bent down and scooped the dead dog into her arms.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking him?"

"To Ami's lab. It's the closest thing we have to a morgue."

l-l-l-l

Setsuna sat at what she had come to think of as _her_ desk, pouring over _her_ books, when Clark wandered in, "Good evening, Mr. Clark."

"Good evening, Ms. Mei'oh. Can I pull you away from your work for a moment?"

"Of course."

"How well versed are you in Maritime Law?"

"I know a few basics but nothing substantial."

He selected a rather thick volume on Maritime Law from one of the shelves, "Come with me, please."

Setsuna hurried after him, "May I ask what's happened?"

"We've had a bit of a situation in the Situation Room."

"A 'situation in the Situation Room'?"

"No pun intended. Apparently, a couple of our officers had a bit of an altercation."

"But, Haruka's in the hospital."

Despite the seriousness of the circumstances, Clark chuckled at Setsuna's innocent comment, "This, surprisingly enough, doesn't involve Haruka, Ms. Mei'oh. Corporal Hino and Detective Aino were involved in a bit of a fracas in which Detective Aino was injured and Corporal Hino's partner was killed."

"Sounds like more than just a fracas, if you ask me."

"I don't know all of the details, having just gotten back myself. I hadn't seen the two before Sargent Kino informed me of what occurred."

"Where do I come into this?"

"I am the captain of this ship, am I not? Aboard his ship, the captain's word is Law. We're going to have a bit of a trial."

They entered the Situation room. Minako's arm had been bandaged and Rei was sporting a black eye and a swollen lip. Both women had been handcuffed to chairs, on opposite sides of the table. Loki's blood still darkened the carpet and the bullet had yet to be dug out of the wall.

Clark's gaze passed over the entire scene, "This is going to be good. I can tell." He slammed the massive volume onto the table with a little more force than necessary, startling both of the injured women, "What happened?"

"She killed my dog!" Rei accused

"After he attacked me."

"After _you _attacked _me_."

Clark pinched his brow and sighed in frustration, "I've had one hell of a day. I have one dead officer and two others who might not be able to continue with their work so, understand me when I say, I do not want to hear the 'he said, she said' bullshit. Do you hear me? I'LL NOT HEAR IT!" he roared.

Setsuna handed him a tape recorder, "This is Jacob Castle, Commander of task force, Alpha two-two-nine. It is Sunday, December the eighth of two thousand and ten and I am here with Detective Minako Aino of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Vice Squad and Corporal Rei Hino of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Canine Unit. With me is Setsuna Mei'oh of Tokyo Federal Prosecutors Office and Sargent Makoto Kino of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Homicide Division." He stated clearly, "This meeting concerns an altercation between Detective Aino and Corporal Hino that occurred at 1500 hours on this date. Sargent Kino."

Makoto stepped forward, "Yes, sir?"

"Please state your name for the record."

"This is Sargent Makoto Kino, Badge number three-eight-eight-one-two." 

"Thank you. Sargent Kino, you witnessed the altercation, yes? Tell me what you saw."

Both Rei and Minako began to, loudly, voice their objections.

"SILENCE!" Clark commanded. And silence, there was. He gestured at Makoto, "When you're ready, Sargent."

"Detective Aino instigated said altercation by calling Sargent Michiru Kai'oh of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Harbor Patrol a foul name."

"And what name was that."

Makoto blushed, "I'd...rather not repeat it, sir."

Clark glared at her, "I'd rather you tell me by what name Detective Aino referred Sargent Kai'oh."

"She called her a...a 'fucking dyke'...sir."

"I see. And did Sargent Kai'oh witness the altercation as well?"

"No, sir. She left right before it began."

"Continue."

"Corporal Hino further instigated by calling Detective Aino a 'fucking bitch'. That was when Detective Aino physically assaulted Corporal Hino."

"Let the record show that Sargent Kino has taken photographic evidence of the injuries sustained by both Corporal Hino and Detective Aino during the altercation in question. Please continue, Sargent."

"Corporal Hino defended herself. However, she proceeded to assault Detective Aino when it was apparent that she had the upper hand. I was trying to break up the fight when Corporal Hino's canine partner attacked Detective Aino. Corporal Hino tried to call off the dog's attack but was ignored. Detective Aino proceeded to shoot the dog with her side arm, at least five times but no more than eight. When discovering that the dog was dead, Corporal Hino drew her side arm and shot at Detective Aino. She would have killed her had it not been for my intervention."

"Thank you for your testimony, Sargent Kino. In light of the witnesses' testimony, I have decided to suspend Corporal Hino from duty for two weeks without pay-"

"_What?"_

"-Make that _three_ weeks, without pay. Detective Aino will be suspended for six weeks without pay and will pay reparations to Corporal Hino. That is all." He turned off the recorder, "Sargent Kino, please fetch Sargent Kai'oh and tell her that I would consider it a personal favor if she would ferry these two idiots to the harbor. You will accompany her."

Makoto dashed away to find Michiru.

"You can't suspend me." Rei objected, "This isn't fair. All of this is her fault."

"Oh, I disagree. I think you share equal blame in this. And, I think my sentence is more than fair, considering the alternative would be to strip you both of your badges and rank and have you both arrested for felony assault with a deadly weapon. Which carries-" He prompted Setsuna.

"Seven years minimum in federal prison." she replied.

"Felony attempted murder for Corporal Hino."

"Fifteen years minimum."

"Felony sexual harassment for Detective Aino."

"Eighteen months minimum and requirement to register as a sex offender."

"Conduct unbecoming of a civil servant."

"Misdemeanor, six months and three thousand yen in fines."

"You get the picture." Clark finished, "So, I think I'm being more than fair, no, indulgent, when I suspend you for three and six weeks, respectively."

"When you said I'm to pay reparations," Minako asked, "What did you mean?"

"You're going to pay for Corporal Hino's new partner."

Makoto arrived with Michiru in tow and began to unlock the cuffs from the girl's wrists, "Let's go." Michiru growled, jerking Minako up by her uninjured arm.

"Thank you for doing this, Sargent Kai'oh. When you drop them off at the harbor, they're on their own. And there's no hurry to return, I'm sure Haruka and Ami could stand to see a friendly face. Oh, and ladies, the badges and gear stay here."

Rei unbuckled her belt and set it on the table with her badge, followed by Minako.

Clark handed the gear to Setsuna, "Lock these up and inform Lieutenant Tsukino of my decision, please." He turned to the women, "Have a lovely evening."


	9. Chapter 9

With great care and Makoto's assistance, Ami levered herself out of the Black Hawk and, with her crutches, awkwardly skipped across the deck and into the ship's interior. A tight brace that ran from her ankle to mid-way up her thigh, kept her from flexing her knee while it healed. Her crutches, Clark saw, were the newer kind, with the cuffs that went around the lower arm instead of the pads that went under the armpit. Eventually, it was hoped that the brace would come off entirely and she would only need one crutch.

Haruka didn't need any type of assistance as she marched, proudly, after Ami. One could almost believe that she hadn't been injured at all, if One ignored the aluminum brace and the heavy limp.

"Welcome back, ladies." Clark smiled as he opened the door to admit them, "Come inside, the wind is biting, today."

"Good to be back." Ami replied, "I never realized it before but hospital food sucks." She eyed the raised lip of the doorway, trying to figure out how to negotiate it, before shuffling aside, "You'd better go first, Haruka. I might be a minute."

When both women were inside and out of the weather, Clark led them to the Situation Room. Carefully, Ami spread her crutches and lowered herself into a chair, sighing as she rested a moment. Haruka took the seat on her left. Usagi entered the room and gave them both a tight one-armed hug, "I'm glad to see you both are better. You've been sorely missed."

"We wish to discuss the possibility of you leaving the force, due to your disabling injuries. Now, we'll be more than happy to pay your medical bills and-"

"Forget it." Haruka interrupted.

Clark blinked, "I beg your pardon?"

"I said it's not happening. I don't need to lift my leg to fly a bird. You're not getting rid of me." She crossed her arms, stubbornly, over her chest, "The only way you can make me leave is if you, physically, throw me off of this ship."

"I agree with Haruka." Ami said, "We have a job to do. I've never left a task unfinished and I don't intend to start now. I can try and get around out in the field but, failing all else, I can train the others to gather evidence and bring it back to me. There's nothing saying I have to _leave_ the lab."

"You've both thought this through quite a bit."

"Well, sir. We've both had quite a bit of time on our hands, recently."

Clark grinned happily and turned to Usagi, on his right, "That's dedication, is it not?"

"It is." She agreed.

Laughing, he stood and surprised both women with a fierce embrace, "Well done, ladies. Welcome back! Makoto! Michiru!"

"Yes, sir?" Both women spoke in unison.

"I understand you both can cook, yes? Come, let's cook something for dinner. I'm sure our two estranged comrades would like something _other than_ hospital food."

Ami, Haruka, and Usagi were left alone. Usagi smiled politely, "Thank you, both, for doing this. This means a great deal to us."

"Don't thank us, Lieutenant." Haruka replied, "Michiru keeps saying I need something to do to keep me out of trouble. What else would I do all day? Sit around and feel sorry for myself?"

"I'm sure you'd find something to get into."

"Yes, but I already told you, Michiru says I can't get into trouble anymore." Word had spread, as word usually does, about Haruka and Michiru's relationship and she was pleased to find that everybody was fine with it, from Usagi's genuine and exuberant approval to Clark's typical apathy. Well, almost everybody, that was. Minako had been surly around them both since word had reached her ears.

Usagi giggled then sobered somewhat, "We'll be holding a memorial service for Hotaru tomorrow. Can I count on you to be there?"

"Of course. I loved that kid." Haruka replied

Ami gave a single nod, "We got to know each other quite well over the past few months. I suppose it'll be one more friend I lay to rest."

l-l-l-l

It was just beginning to grow light when they all met on the bow of the ship. Each of the women were clad in their formal uniforms, cleaned and pressed. Several metal folding chairs had been set out, facing a small table and podium. On the table, next to a bouquet of flowers, was Hotaru's graduation picture, taken when she had graduated from the academy. She smiled brightly and saluted smartly as she stood against a background of the Japanese national flag, her eyes full of wonder and life.

"Good morning." Clark greeted them when they gathered, "We are gathered together today to lay to rest one of our own. Corporal Hotaru Tomoe gave her life to save countless others. Her wisdom, intelligence, and selflessness is an inspiration to us all.

"She told me, not long after we met, that all she had ever wanted to be was a police officer, to be the one of the best, to be that who would be an example to all others. She far exceeded her own expectations."

Ami leaned forward, hiding her face in her hands as she succumbed to silent tears. Haruka wrapped an arm around Michiru as they both began to cry. Even cynical Makoto's eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Corporal Tomoe has shown us what must be done. We must see through our own differences and beliefs to protect those we love. May her spirit find it's long and well-deserved peace. Let us pray, Do not withhold your mercy from us O Lord; may Your love and Your truth always protect us. For troubles without number surround us; our sins have overtaken us and we cannot see. Our sins are more than the hairs on our heads, and our hearts fail within us. Be pleased, O Lord, to save us. O Lord, come quickly to help us. May all who seek to take our lives as this life was taken be put to shame and confusion; may all those who desire our ruin be turned back in disgrace. May all those who would be pleased with our destruction be appalled at their own shame. Here lies the dead, dust of the earth,-"

"I'm sorry, Hotaru!" Haruka suddenly cried out, leaping to her feet, "I'm sorry you're dead! You didn't deserve to die! You were too young, too much life left to live." Her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed.

Michiru immediately dropped to her lover's side and checked her pulse, which was strong and regular, "She's fine. She only fainted."

Clark cleared his throat, "Well, let's get inside before we all catch our deaths."

"No." Makoto said, her voice breaking, "If it's not much longer, please finish. What are you saying, anyways?"

Clark shrugged, "A rather free adaptation of Psalm Forty."

"It's lovely." Usagi murmured through her tears, "Like salve on a wound.

Clark paused a moment, trying to find his place again, "Here lies the dead, dust of the earth, and here we are the living, poor and needy; O Lord, do not forsake us. You are our savior; O my God, do not delay. Amen."

"Amen."

A crewman, who knew how to play bagpipes, began to blow out _Amazing Grace_ as the sun burst from the horizon, bathing the ship in a pinkish-orange glow. Nobody was dry-eyed as the reverent music continued. Clark closed his eyes, letting the memories of the other times he had heard this hymn played wash over him. Standing at the graves and memorials, some extravagant, some basic, of other comrades who had fallen in battle. Each grave, whether in a cemetery or in a deep jungle, held special meaning for him, a special memory that he would keep forever. This tiny service, with these women, on this day, held no less significance.

Together, excepting Haruka, who was still unconscious, they all turned and saluted as the Japanese and American flags were lowered to half-staff.

l-l-l-l

Rei paused at a particular wall outside the Galley. On it was a plaque, _In Honor Of Those Who Have Fallen._ Underneath it, was Hotaru's picture, but there was one missing. Reaching into her bag, she drew out one of many pictures she had of Loki, his best, in her opinion, and stared at it for a moment.

"Corporal Hino, what are you doing?" Clark asked when he spotted her.

"There's a picture missing." She replied.

He leaned close and saw what she meant, "Too right, you are. May I borrow this a moment?" She handed him the photo, "I'll return it at the end of the day. In the meantime, your new partner arrived yesterday. Come and meet her."

He led her to her quarters where a large dog waited quietly. There would be no mistaking this dog for Loki. Though she was a Shepard, like Loki, her coat was a darker brown, almost black. Her too big paws and too big ears gave her a puppy-like quality.

"She's just finished school and hasn't been partnered yet."

Rei crouched down to the dog's level, "She's lovely. What's her name?"

"Shasta. She's only six months old but trained exactly as Loki was and she's a very intelligent girl. I'll leave you two to get acquainted."

He left, closing the door behind him. Rei knelt before Shasta. She thought it odd that she would be assigned a female. Usually only men were paired with females while women got male partners.

She noticed Shasta was shivering, "What's wrong? Are you cold?"

In response, Shasta scooted a little closer.

"Oh, I see. You're excited." Offering the back of her hand, which Shasta sniffed delicately, Rei introduced herself.

Shasta cocked her head, causing the tip of one ear to flop, and her muzzle split into a silly grin. The whole effect had a Disney-like quality.

"If I didn't know better," Rei accused, "I'd swear you were related to him. You both can pull the same idiot look."

Shasta barked her response, _I'm not an idiot. I can do lotsa things, Boss Lady._

"You've got some pretty big prints to fill, pretty girl. Are you sure you're up to the task?"

Shasta barked, _Course, I'm sure, Boss Lady._

l-l-l-l

Ami gasped as the ceiling above her lab began to retract with the deafening shriek of metal-on-metal. She didn't know it could do that. She wondered why it would even be doing that in the first place.

A massive gust of wind filled the lab, blowing papers everywhere. She felt the heavy vibrations beneath her feet as a large pallet with layer upon layer of tacky white bricks descended, slowly, from the sky and landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

Ami looked up through her new skylight to see a monstrous helicopter retract a line of woven steel and thunder away. Slowly, with the renewed shriek that grated Ami's nerves, the ceiling closed.

Clark ambled through the door, "Good morning, Ami."

She pointed at the ceiling, "What the hell?"

"Oh, your lab used to be part of the interior cargo bay for this ship."

"Yes, I can still smell the petroleum. What is this and what just dropped it in here?"

"That was a CH-53 Sea Stallion, courtesy of the U.S. Navy base on Okinawa. They let us borrow it for this. This," he said, slapping the bricks, "is the bomb Hotaru disarmed. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find out everything about this explosive. Who made it, where it was going, who it was for and if it was stolen or not."

"And, let me guess, I have forty-eight hours?"

Clark shrugged, "If you want. I was about to tell you to take your time, do it right."

He left, holding the door open for Rei and Shasta.

"Aw," Ami cooed, "Who is this handsome fellow?"

"_Her_ name is Shasta."

"Oh, she's beautiful." Ami gave Shasta a brief scratch behind the ears.

"I'm introducing her to everyone so that we don't have a repeat of the last...event."

Ami nodded, "A wise idea." Both women watched as Shasta wandered over to the pallet of explosives, sniffed it, and sat down. It was the signal that she had found something.

"Yes, dear. We know it's there." Rei replied, trying not to laugh.

Shasta passed a quick look between the explosives and Rei, _Check out what I've found._

"We know there's explosives, Shasta. We put them there."

Ami limped over to the pallet with a scalpel and a small dish, scraping a small bit off of a brick, "Strange," she commented, "It doesn't have the texture of an explosive." She tried another brick, "But this one does."

Returning to her first sample, she gave it a quick sniff, "Oh my God." She gasped and turned to Rei, "Find Clark. Tell him it's important."


	10. Chapter 10

"Heroin." Ami announced as she set the brick on her lab table.

"You're sure?" Clark asked, dubiously.

"Pure, medical-grade, Heroin. Street value in the millions."

"Combined with explosives."

"My guess is this. Our terrorists are drug dealers, or runners, at the very least. They were running this stuff and decided to stop off at the Kyoto mall for a little amusement. The explosives mixed with the drugs were a contingency plan. In case something went wrong. When we showed up to rain on their parade, our boy who shot Hotaru up decided to blow the whole load to cover his trail, take off, turn the corner, and become an upstanding citizen again."

"So, who were they running for?"

"That's a good question. I'm sure there's an equally good answer and, if we follow the drug trail, I think we'll find it. How long will it be before Minako returns?"

"Three more weeks."

"Really wish she hadn't blown Rei's dog away. We could really use her contacts on this." 

l-l-l-l

It was back to work for Detective Minako Aino. Disappearing for two months had set all of her contacts on edge. She had spent the entire final week of her suspension paying off past due bribes, which had nearly devastated her personal savings.

Somebody was there to greet her as she returned to the base. However, it was the somebody she least wanted to see.

"Let's have a chat, shall we?" said Sargent Haruka Ten'oh. Minako found herself following Ten'oh, even though she didn't want to. Her legs wouldn't obey her commands. Ten'oh had that effect on people.

She found herself at a vacant room, used only for storage. Ten'oh shoved her inside and locked the door.

Pinning Minako against a wall with a forearm, Haruka used her free hand to draw her combat knife, "Let me make this quite clear." Haruka hissed through gritted teeth, "I don't care about your personal opinions on homosexuality. You can say what you want about me. Believe me, I've heard worse. But, if you _ever_ speak to Michiru like that again," the sharp blade settled against Minako's cheek, "I will make life _very_ miserable for you. Do you understand?"

For the first time in a long time, Minako felt cold terror as she took in the Sargent's glaring green eyes, the twitch in the cheek, "I...I'm sorry." She stuttered.

Haruka shook her head, "No, you're not. But if you speak against Michiru like that again, you will be."

Haruka unlocked the door and shoved her back out, "Stay out of my way." She growled as she shoved Minako aside and limped away.

Minako saw Clark standing a few feet away, "You're going to let her get away with that?"

He cocked an eyebrow, "With what? I didn't see anything. Come with me, Detective. Let's have a chat, shall we?"

l-l-l-l

"Heroin?"

"And lots of it." Clark confirmed, "Eight hundred kilos."

"The only person that deals in bulk like that is a figure called the Cat."

"Cat? As in, meow, cat?"

"The same."

"What do you know?"

"Not much," she admitted, "He's the fellow I was tracking before I came here but, every lead I got turned out to be a dead end. He's very secretive. But he deals in Marijuana, Cocaine, Hashish, and Heroin. The Marijuana and Hashish sales fund the Cocaine and Heroin business, which is pure profit. He's been doing this a while, among one of the first. Occasionally dabbles in the gun trade and prostitution."

"Knows how to play the game of Politics?"

"You could say he invented the game. He knows who to pay and who to kill. If a body turns up in the harbor, chances stand that he's behind it."

"Has people for his dirty work?"

"You could say that again. Last estimates were in the hundreds, from farmers and runners to street merchants, pimps. Going as high as the Diet, some reports say."

"I have Mizuno working on the drugs."

"Good idea. It would be wise to put her mother into protective custody. Rumor is, the Cat doesn't like people poking around where they don't belong. Ami's mother might be used as leverage to get her to back off."

"I'll take that under advisement. In the meantime, Detective, let's chat about what happened a couple of months ago. Now, personally, I don't care about homosexuals. I don't approve, I don't disapprove, I simply don't care because I know that there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. I prefer to see the individual, not be concerned about who puts what where. It would be wise for you to learn the same lesson, especially concerning Sargents Ten'oh and Kai'oh. They're nice enough people, leave it at that. What they do behind closed doors is none of your business. I will not have you sewing discord among members of my crew because of your opinions on lifestyles. If one of them is making you uncomfortable, you come to me and I'll deal with it. What Sargent Ten'oh said to you today was a warning, I'd follow it, were I you. I'd also try to make amends. Apologies are always a good place to start, but, wait until tempers cool."

"Yes, sir."

"And, on that same note, I'd stay away from Corporal Hino. She sends her thanks for the new partner but I'd give her a wide berth, for the time being."

l-l-l-l

"She's beautiful." 

Rei turned from Shasta to see Minako only a few feet away, "You're the first person to not make the mistake of thinking she's a he."

Minako shrugged and took a breath, gathering her courage, "I'm sorry about what happened."

"What happened?"

Shocked, Minako thought a moment about keeping her mouth shut but decided against it, "About killing your dog."

"My what?"

"Your...partner. I overreacted. It was an accident."

Rei nodded, "Good. Acknowledgment that what you have done is wrong is the first step towards making amends. Apology accepted. But, keep in mind, _I_ can make accidents happen, too."

"But, I _apologized_."

"Yes, and I accepted your apology. However, that doesn't mean I have to forgive you. I bury the hatchet but leave the handle sticking out." Silently, Rei took up Shasta's leash and led the dog away. Only pausing for a moment, "Oh, and on a completely unrelated topic, I'd lose the whiny little-girl voice. It's really aggravating. Seriously, you sound like a toddler, not a Police Detective."


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: _(Neo Draco peeks out from behind tree) _Hi, everybody. Remember me? It's been a while. First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking so long on one, measly, chapter._ (ducks a rock) _HEY! WHO THREW THAT? Anyway, I had the writer's block from hell concerning this chapter. Sucks, right? And, just forewarning, it probably will happen again. Don't worry, I'm far from abandoning this fic. Write on!_

l-l-l-l

Makoto gently tapped on the door to Ami's lab before letting herself in, "I've brought you something to eat." she said, setting down the tray. "Figured you might be hungry."

"Thanks." Ami mumbled, not looking up from her notes.

"Anything new?"

"Nothing until Minako pumps her informants."

Makoto simply stood there, scratching at the back of her head. Ami looked up and blinked, "Yes?"

"Well, you've been at this for a couple of days. Don't you think you should take a break? Get some rest?"

Ami removed her glasses long enough to rub her eyes, "I suppose there's little more I can get out of this, right now." She took hold of her crutches and stood, sighing a bit, "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"C'mon, let's get you bedded down for a little R and R."

Makoto escorted Ami down the hall to her cabin, encountering Clark, who seemed to turn up at the oddest times, along the way, "Ami." He said, "You look terrible. I never thought I'd have to say this, but, go to bed."

Ami nodded, "Yes, sir."

"And Makoto," Clark continued, "You let her sleep. None of that 'pillow-fight' business."

Both women stared at him. How did he know about pillow-fight?

But Clark simply smiled and winked, "Good night, ladies."

l-l-l-l

Minako flipped through everything she had on the Cat. Most of it was groundless rumor but she could tease an occasional nugget of truth from it. That was the only problem with working with street informants, even though they had access to information she never would, they would, sometimes, feed her absolute bullshit just to get their pay.

The Cat, so known for his smooth, purring, voice, was one bad guy. He was involved in everything from smuggling, to extortion, to fixing various competitive venues. There were even rumors that he was involved in the Blackwell case.

The Blackwell case was one of her first and was never fully solved. A young woman, Christina Blackwell, had done what a great many foreigners did and came to Japan, looking for work in one of the many hostess clubs. A hostess club was something like a whorehouse where women were paid for their attentions, but it never went so far as actual sex with the clientele. Minako had worked undercover as a hostess, for a time, and had actually considered a career change. The pay was quite good.

After several months of near constant contact with her family in the U.K, Blackwell had completely disappeared. Since Minako spoke English fluently and had spent some years in Great Britain, she had been selected as the liaison between the T.M.P.D and the Blackwell family. After months of tireless effort, they had found Christina. Or, more accurately, her remains. Minako had taken this as a personal failure and had, henceforth, fought to be the best at whatever she did. She was rather like Rei in that respect.

There was so little known about the Cat. All of the information she had was little more than rumors. The most accurate information was that which had been stated multiple times by multiple sources. It was incredibly frustrating to have the man in her sights, so close, and yet, so far away. They were stuck at square one and every piece added to the puzzle only aided the enigma.

Sighing, she stood and cracked her back, starting as the door opened, seemingly by itself, and Rei's dog, Shasta, marched in, as if she owned the whole boat. Minako dropped to her knees and began to stroke the dog's silky coat. The only pet she had ever owned was an albino Siamese cat named Artemis. She had never owned a dog and always saw them as foul, smelly, disgusting beasts. But, Shasta had changed her entire outlook on the animals. The playful, affectionate, creature always seemed to know exactly when Minako was reaching her wit's end and would come for a visit to divert the Detective's attention from the infuriatingly slow progress of the case.

"Hi, lovey." she cooed, scratching behind the dog's ears, "Aren't you just the prettiest girl. Did you just get a bath? You smell like vanilla. Yes, you do."

Laying down, Shasta rolled onto her back, begging a belly rub. The defenseless posture of the exposed belly signified, to Minako, everything a friend was about. Offering up everything and asking nothing in return but affection. She liked to think of Shasta as her friend, the dog certainly felt as such. Now, if only she could get through to Rei.

Minako was truly very sorry about what had happened and had meant every word of her apology to the woman but Rei wasn't buying it. The Corporal seemed to have this ever-simmering anger that she hid from everyone, including herself. Oh she was certainly polite enough, and even friendly when she wanted to be, but she spent all of her time alone or with her dog. It was like she was afraid of everyone.

At first, Minako had simply assumed the woman to be snobbish and rude, as she assumed everyone to be but, following her return to duty, she began to do a background check on Rei Hino. For no other purpose than to get to know the woman better.

Rei had lost her mother at a young age and, since her father never played a significant role in her life, she seemed to have a few abandonment issues. She had been raised at a Shinto Shrine as a Miko, a Shrine maiden, by her elderly grandfather. She had kept to herself for most of her life before joining the force for reasons unknown.

Minako felt a pang of sympathy for the woman, despite her earlier feelings. It was no wonder why Rei had become so stubborn, strong-willed, and standoffish. She had to be to survive in a world like this. And the whole isolationist attitude that she exhibited probably grew from a combination of her fear of abandonment and her childhood in a secluded shrine. The woman simply lacked the ability for small talk and conversational skills.

As if summoned by Minako's thoughts, Rei appeared, "Sorry, she got away from me."

"It's alright. We were just enjoying each others company. I can see why you like dogs so much, they're wonderful animals."

"Aren't they." Rei replied, stepping through the door. But, she misjudged her stride, tripped over the raised lip of the doorway and, with a startled yelp, fell into the room. Shasta, startled by the woman's cry, was immediately on her feet and went to check her mistress with Minako not far behind.

"Are you alright?" She asked, helping Rei to her feet.

"Fine."

"You're sure you're not hurt?"

Rei scowled as she snatched her arm from Minako's grasp, "Do you think I'm so weak that a simple fall would hurt me?"

Taking a step back, Minako put her hands up defensively, "I didn't mean anything by it. You looked like you fell pretty hard."

"So, What of it?"

Minako rolled her eyes, "Why do you have to take everything I say or do as a personal affront? Kami-sama, you are, quite possibly, the most overly-sensitive person I've ever met."

Rei closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, visibly reigning in her temper, "I'm sorry. I know I can be a little too sensitive...alright...way too sensitive. I'm just sick of everyone thinking I'm weak simply because I'm a woman."

"I don't think you're weak. You actually seem quite capable, which is no surprise considering what happened to you at such a young age." It quickly dawned on Minako that she, probably, had said a little too much.

"And just _what_ happened to me at a young age?" Rei asked, suspiciously.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Minako quickly replied, but she soon quailed under the weight of Rei's glare, "I...uh...I read over your personnel file and did a background check on you."

"_What_?"

"It's my _job_." Minako replied, defensively, "I learn about people so that I can better interact with them."

"Those records are _private_." Rei hissed.

"In the event of an internal investigation, my rank allows me access to any and all records I so choose."

Rei pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it, but, that didn't mean she had to like it, "Whatever. Just, from now on, if you have a question about me, come see me. Don't go behind my back again. I really don't appreciate it."

"Duly noted." Minako replied, "I apologize. I just didn't trust you to give me a straight answer, at least, not without biting my head off, first."

"Anyways. The reason I came is because, well, you _have_ been working really hard and Clark says we have a few days off. Would you like to get a drink, or something?"

"What?" Minako was a little confused. Not five minutes before, this woman was chewing her out.

"Well, I drink. You drink. Perhaps we could do it at the same bar, maybe at the same time? Do you eat? We could do that, also."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Look, I'm not very good at this." Rei snapped, "Nobody taught me how to ask anybody out and, in case you didn't notice, I haven't had a lot of practice."

"You mean, as colleagues?"

"Colleagues, yeah, sure."

"That _is_ what you meant, right?"

"Look, if you don't want to go, just say so. I don't like being jerked around."

"No, I see no harm in having dinner with a colleague. Hell, we do it every other night. We'll just do it in a different place this time. How are we getting to shore?"

Rei jingled a set of keys, "Clark gave me the keys to his boat."

"Okay. Hang on, let me get my jacket."

l-l-l-l

Ami lay in Makoto's arms, happily chattering about her mother, "But she always felt terrible about having to work so much. She tried, every day, to let me know how much she loved me. I wanted to be a doctor, just like her. But, after my father was murdered, I went into law enforcement. I, really, just want to make the world a better place."

"I understand."

Ami sat up, "What about you? You've never told me about your childhood."

Makoto shrugged, "What's to tell? My parents died in a plane crash when I was ten years old. I've lived on my own ever since."

Ami gasped and covered her mouth with a dainty hand, "I'm sorry. Here I am, babbling about my mother, without a care in the world. It must be driving you insane."

"I don't mind. I like hearing about your mother. It reminds me of mine."

Ami snapped her fingers as an idea came to her, "I'll tell you what. The next time we go back to the city, I'll let you meet her. I'm sure you two will get along great."

Makoto laughed at Ami's sudden excitement, "I'd like that. Oh, besides, I have to go. Clark assigned me to be your new bodyguard."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"No."

Slightly confused, Makoto sat up, "What do you mean?"

"I love you." Ami replied, embracing her tightly, "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"And I don't want you getting hurt again. The best way to keep that from happening is to see to your safety myself."

"I'm not so important that I even _need_ a bodyguard. There's no one out to get me."

"Not yet. But there will be and I don't want you getting into harm's way."

"But-"

"Don't argue with me. It's already said and done. We went behind your back because I knew you would raise these exact same objections."

"I'll leave the force." Ami threatened, "They can't come after me if they don't know who I am."

"Don't you dare. We need you too much and you know it."

"Nonsense. There's plenty of other CSIs as good as, if not better than, me."

"Who's speaking nonsense now? You know that you're the best, even if you don't want to admit it. The others can't hold a candle to you."

"But-"

"Ami, that's enough. I'm your new bodyguard, end of story."

With a growl of frustration, Ami flopped back onto the bed, "That doesn't mean I have to like it." Makoto went to put her arms back around the petite doctor, who shoved her away, "Get away from me. I don't like you anymore."

While Ami tried to push her away, Makoto pushed back, quickly proving herself to be the stronger of the two. She finally succeeded to getting Ami back into her arms and pulled her close. Ami struggled but, only briefly, before falling still again, "I didn't say you had to like it." Makoto purred, "You just have to go along with it. Besides, it'll be fun, spending all this extra time together."


	12. Chapter 12

"I get higher, baby. I get higher, girl." Minako sang drunkenly, trying to dance and not fall down as she and Rei meandered through a park on the early side of midnight.

"Minako, you're hopeless." Rei giggled as she caught the woman, _again_, and pulled her back upright.

They had visited twelve different karaoke bars during their Girl's Night Out. But, now, it was time for all good, well-sauced, women to post up for the night. It would not do for a Police Detective and a Police Corporal to be found, passed out, on a street corner. Or, for that matter, be arrested for being drunk in public.

"Where are we?" Minako asked, looking around stupidly.

Rei eyed their surroundings in a thoughtful manner, "Aw...fuck."

Minako laughed, "I've lived in this city for most of my life but I didn't know there was a 'fuck' here."

"You know what I mean," Rei replied with a playful jab, "bitch."

"Don't call me a bitch, bitch." Minako tried to glare through unfocused eyes.

They marched right into two man-mountains. The tension mounted as the two smaller women glared up at them, swaying slightly, until Rei hiccuped loudly. Laughing uproariously, Minako grabbed her arm and tried to lead her between the men, "'Scuse us."

The men shoved both women back.

"What the hell?" Rei cried, "I'll have you know that (hic) that we are ocifers of the law and that constitititues assault on a (hic) public savant. I mean, servant" She cried out as she caught twenty-thousand volts in the neck and went down like a tree.

"Rei!" Minako cried. She turned to face the men and raised her fists, "Alright, assholes. It's time for round two."

She threw a punch, which one of the men caught in a meaty fist and bent her wrist, painfully, back. Her entire body seized up as the Taser caught her in the chest and she dropped into a boneless heap.

l-l-l-l

Usagi knocked on Clark's open door, "Sir, have you seen Rei or Minako around?"

"Rei went into the city and, I think, she took Minako with her. They're doing some kind of bonding thing. Personally, I'm not into bondage."

"Yes, sir. But, I expected them back, by now. It's almost three in the morning."

"Well, I'm certain they did the responsible thing and have gotten themselves a hotel room, for the evening. They'll probably turn up, the best of friends, in the morning."

She nodded, "Alright, then, good night, sir."

"Good night, Usagi-chan."

She paused, "Er..."

"Yes?"

"Well, sir, it's just that, this is the first time you've called me Usagi-chan, usually it's Usagi-_san_."

"I see. I apologize if I've offended you."

"No, no, nothing like that. It just surprised me."

l-l-l-l

Every breath hurt as Minako sat in the dark warmth, still without full control of her body. She was moving, she surmised as much by the sensation of travel. She sat up and tried to move her arms, but couldn't. Nor, could she move her legs. She paused again to take further stock of the situation. She was bound and blindfolded, in a vehicle, traveling who-knew-where with, she could only assume, the two man-mountains from before and, since she didn't hear Rei bitching, she could only assume that she was alone, or that the woman was dead, or still unconscious.

So, she had been kidnapped. It wouldn't be the first time. Until she knew more about her situation, she forced her body to relax, feigned unconsciousness, and listened to her environment.

"You're not fooling anyone, Detective Aino."

She sat up. The voice, a woman's voice, had been close, "I don't believe I've had the pleasure." she responded.

"No, you haven't. But, you know my name, all the same. Or, at least, one of the many I use."

"Would you mind dropping a hint?" Minako asked.

"You know me as the Cat."

"Ah, Cat-san. We've been looking all over for you."

"And here I am."

"Would you mind untying me so I can arrest you?"

The Cat laughed indulgently, "Now, you and I both know that's not going to happen."

"Pity, and I was so looking forward to that promotion."

The Cat laughed again but said nothing more.

"What have you done with my partner?" Minako asked, pleasantly.

"Oh, the dark-haired woman? Why, she's right next to you. Still asleep, I'm afraid. The poor dear has had quite an evening."

That answered the question of Rei's situation, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm impressed, Detective. Usually, people are screaming to be released by now and aren't hardly as polite as you."

"Oh, well, if there's a set script, I'd hate to deviate from it."

The Cat laughed, "And, so witty. I admire that in a Police officer. I have a feeling that, had you and I been on the same team, we would have been very good friends."

"Somehow, I doubt it." Minako replied.

"Very well, Detective. We're both busy women so I shall get straight to the point. You are in possession of several million yen worth of my stock. Where is it?"

"With the police."

"I figured as much, what with you being a Detective and all. I want it back."

Minako shrugged, "Can't say I can help you. I need my job and work is hard enough to come by, times being what they are."

"So very true. However, Detective Aino, It would be wise to comply with my demands. Know, now, that there is a gun pointed at your chest."

"So, you're going to kill me if I don't give you what you want? Big deal."

"I see. You care more for the law than you do your own life. Very well, but does your friend share the same sentiment?"

"This is between you and me. Leave her out of this."

"You are not in the position to make demands. Know this, from heretofore, you're off of this case."

The car began to slow. Minako heard a door open and rough hands seized her, flinging her out and into the street. Something hard and warm collided with her as Rei followed her abrupt exit.

"So that was the Cat?" She said, casually, "Very charming lady."

"You were awake the whole time?" Minako asked.

"Oh, yes. Unlike you, I can fake unconsciousness quite well. How else, do you think, I got out of chores at the Shrine?"

"Can you get my blindfold? I, kind of, need my eyes."

"I would, but my arms don't seem to want to work right now."

"That's because they're tied, my dear."

"I figured as much, but that's not what I meant. Remind me to give you a swift kick in the ass, once I'm loose."

"Do your fingers work?"

"Yeah."

Minako rolled onto her side and orientated herself on Rei's body, "You do realize that your face is about two inches from my butt."

"Don't you _dare_ break wind. I do not want a face-full of Essence of Minako."

Minako helped Rei roll over before scooting down, resting the back of her head in Rei's bound hands, "Just pull the blindfold off." She cried out, "That's my hair! You've got my hair!"

Rei adjusted her grip, "Sorry."

Minako blinked as light flooded her vision. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. Some older section of the city. She took stock and, finding herself uninjured, she turned to Rei.

The woman's shoulder was set at an odd angle. Probably dislocated in their hasty exit from the car. Minako raised her legs and gave them a good shake, smiling as a switchblade knife fell out of her boot.

"What was that?" Rei asked.

"Knife." Minako replied, flicking the blade open and sawing away at the rope that had been twisted around her hands. Once free, she turned to help Rei.

"What are you doing?" Rei asked as Minako gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Hold still." Minako gave the joint a solid blow with the heel of her hand. Rei grunted in pain and a loud pop echoed around the desolate street as her shoulder slipped back into the proper position.

"Oh, that's much better. Thank you."

Minako helped Rei to her feet, "You shouldn't move that arm, at least, until we put you in a sling."

"So, are you going to follow her demands? Quit the case?"

"Who? The Cat's? If she wants me off of the case, she'll have to kill me."

"Nothing's going to stand in your way, I respect that, Minako. But, why did you back down when she threatened me?"

Minako blushed, "Well, it's just, I didn't want you to get hurt because of me."

Rei smiled, "Thanks. That's sweet."

"I never thought I'd hear the hard-ass Rei Hino say something was 'sweet.' Are you still drunk?"

"No, I'm mostly sober, a little (hic) tipsy but nothing more than that."

Slinging a companionable arm around the Corporal, Minako guided her to the nearest hospital, "Come on, tipsy-girl. Let's make sure there are no more dents in you before we go back to the ship and explain to Clark why we both smell like a bar."


	13. Chapter 13

The entire task force gathered in the Situation Room, even though there was no situation for them to attend to. They all waited to be briefed on Rei and Minako's adventure with the Cat. This new information wouldn't crack the case but it would bring them that much closer to the source of their woes.

Both women had sustained minor injuries during their adventure. Rei had a couple of burns on her neck from the Taser and her arm was in a sling. Minako featured identical burns on her chest from the Taser, which had ruined the blouse she had been wearing. Bruises and scratches marred her face and arms from her surprising and abrupt exit from the Cat's car.

Despite their conditions, everyone was happy to see that the two women, who had a habit of antagonizing one another, had made up. Now, without the constant distractions, some work might finally get done.

"One thing's for certain," Minako asserted, "our original assumptions were incorrect. The Cat is a woman."

"What's her age?" Usagi asked, trying to put together a profile.

"We didn't see her. She had us blindfolded. But, if I'd have to hazard a guess, I'd say, given the crimes she's been linked to over the years, late thirties to early forties."

"She's put together quite the criminal empire in such a short span of time." Clark observed.

"Which is why I think she's inherited it. We may be looking at an old crime syndicate. She may be expanding on what her father built. She also seems to know this game, which is why I think she grew up playing it.

"She's extremely intelligent, which is why she's able to stay one step ahead of us and not break a sweat. She knew, specifically, who it was that had her drugs delivered to the police. I was targeted and Rei just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I'm surprised she didn't try to kill you." Makoto remarked.

"I don't think that was her intention. I think she just wanted to scare us away. I doubt she knows about the force but I wouldn't put it past her. It's my belief that she has someone on the inside feeding her information."

"What makes you say that?" Ami asked.

"How else would she know exactly who had her drugs. Like I said, out of the dozens of detectives on the force, she came after me specifically. She's been keeping ahead of us for years and in complete secrecy. You cannot operate in the public without the wrong people hearing something. That's why a lot of these syndicates have to pay off, scare off, or be shut down within a few years. She's been able to stay ahead of us all of this time without something coming to the surface and letting us know about her. I've worked this case for years and I can tell you we know almost nothing about the bitch. We don't even know her real name."

"Alright," said Usagi, "You say that it's most likely that she inherited her empire from her father. Assuming he started from the ground up, let's look at families that have been around for, say, the past half-century."

"Already ahead of you, Lieutenant." Rei began, setting a series of folders on the table, "We've come up with six different families that began operating in the thirties, Komatsu, Azama, Hama, Koike , Kitigawa, and Sawai. Of these Six families, only Kitigawa, Koike, and Komatsu have boasted daughters born within the age bracket we're looking at."

"That's assuming that the Cat is the age we put her at." Ami objected, "She could be older or younger. You didn't see her so there's no way to know for certain."

"Very true." Clark conceded, "However, it's the closest thing we have to fact and the best we have to go on."

"You can't be serious." Michiru sat up, "We can't go breaking down doors and hauling people away."

"Wrong. The _police_ can't go knocking down doors and hauling people away. As far as the public is concerned, we are not the police, we don't even exist. Besides, I'm not going to go knocking down doors. Detective Aino, Lieutenant Tsukino, and I will pay a visit to one of the Cat's facilities and see what we can see. If we do our job right, she won't even know we were there."

l-l-l-l-l

"Just out of curiosity," Usagi asked as she surveyed the rooftops, "How are we going to get there without being seen?"

"I've been checking out satellite photographs of this area." Clark explained, "It'll be easy enough. The building's are pressed so closely together that it's doable. We just play a game of Parkour."

"And what, may I ask, is Parkour?"

"An extreme sport that's been in practice for years but is just now becoming mainstream. It's a combination of gymnastics and base jumping. Very dangerous."

"That's fine." Minako replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I did gymnastics for years when I was younger."

"Did you ever do Gymnastics, Clark?" Usagi asked.

"No, but our Special Ops training introduced us to it. I really wish I had the time to get you guys situated in it before our missions began. It's a lot of fun and I really think you guys would have enjoyed it. Haruka especially. She strikes me as the type to try anything once."

The trio snugged down the compact backpacks across their backs. Inside was a camera capable of both still and video photography, infrared goggles, binoculars, and their compact MP-10s with silencer attachment. Clark went first, breaking into a dead run. Stepping onto the edge of the building's roof, he leaped, sailed out over open air, and rolled forward. He landed on the next roof and allowed his momentum to pitch him forward onto his shoulder. He tumbled once to a halt and turned, waiting for the other two.

"A simple double front-flip, that's easy enough" Minako said with a smile as she followed him Instead of rolling her body, she twisted, keeping her legs extended, and landed next to Clark, killing her momentum with a back-flip.

Usagi couldn't help but feel a degree of trepidation. She had not had special operations training nor spent most of her childhood studying gymnastics. In fact, she had spent most of her childhood studying the contents of the refrigerator. She crept to the edge of the roof and felt her heart stop as she noticed just how high up they were.

"Lieutenant, we don't have all night." Clark hissed from across the gap.

Usagi swallowed back her fear as she backed up, putting as much distance between her and the gap as possible, before breaking into a wind sprint. She jumped up and out but with none of the finesse of Clark or Minako. Her legs continued to pump as if she could gain purchase on the empty air. She watched as the gap sailed past before the roof of the next building leaped up to catch her with a startling impact.

Clark and Minako helped her to her feet, "Are you hurt?"

Usagi panted with excitement, "What a rush!"

"Six points for attitude, one point for style." Minako replied, "You'll get the hang of this before too long."

"The question is, how many bones will I break between then and now?"

Clark eyed the next obstacle, a pair of parallel pillars that stood ten or fifteen feet in height. Getting a running start, he leaped, placing one foot against one pillar and pushing himself up. Alternating pillars, he ran up to the next rooftop in the series. Minako followed suit but Usagi had to struggle a bit. She was too old for this.

l-l-l-l

Usagi was happy to find that her technique had improved a degree in the short amount of time it took to climb to one of the many warehouses traced to the Cat. Though each of the properties was being used by the criminal mastermind, none of them were in the same name. This particular property was deeded to Asako Uran, an untraceable name. According to the Tokyo Citizen Database, Asako Uran never existed but property law loopholes forbade seizure by the government.

There wasn't much to see from a distance. The windows of the warehouse had been either covered or tinted. This was common in many metallurgy warehouses so that workers might better judge the quality of the glowing hot metal. This, however, was no steelyard.

"I was afraid of this." Clark said, lowering his binoculars, "We'll have to do a B and E."

"'B and E'?" Usagi asked.

"Breaking and Entering."

"Great." Minako replied sarcastically, "I'm still one short on my daily felony quota."

Leaving their post, they leaped onto the warehouse roof, splitting up as each tried to find a way in. Whoever had set up the security for this place had done a fantastic job. Everything, from the windows to the ventilation, was protected with bars or steel mesh. The only way out in the event of an emergency, was through the fire escape but the windows only opened from the inside. Minako smashed a window, reached through, and undid the latch, letting the trio into the building.

Despite the very late hour, the warehouse was alive with activity. People, workers, were moving product to be processed, packaged, and shipped around the city, around the country, and, quite possibly, around the world.

Clark, Usagi, and Minako lingered in the shadows, snapping pictures and taking video of everything. Though this would not be usable in court as evidence, the knowledge added to their own database for future missions would be priceless.

There was one woman off to the side, supervising the entire operation. She carried herself like someone of importance so Usagi snapped a couple of pictures of her. The woman turned and looked directly at Usagi, who was very well hidden in the shadows. But, perhaps, not well enough. Usagi, wisely, backed away and began to make her way back to the rooftop where Clark and Minako joined her after a moment.

"I think we have some promising stuff here." Minako said excitedly.

"Keep in mind, when this case does go to court, this stuff will not be admissible as evidence." Clark reminded them both.

"Yes, Daddy." Both women replied in frightening harmony.

"Still," Minako continued, "it would kick ass if we could use this stuff. That's the case done and over with convictions all around. That's the reason for this crime wave, the courts are too lenient. The average murder sentence is ten years. That's a fucking slap on the wrist."

"It's the truth. Personally, I support capital punishment." Clark mused.

"Why? There's nothing proving that it lowers the crime rate."

"That's because the conviction rate is too low. Trust me, if more criminals were convicted of crimes that they committed, then the rate would go down. Now, as it is, most criminals believe that they won't be caught, or, if they are, they won't be sentenced. Most of the time, they're right."

"What about the problem of repeat offenders?" Usagi asked.

"That is a real problem and make no mistake. Repeat offenders occur when nobody will give these people a second chance. I'll agree that for major crimes like rape, murder, and kidnapping, these thugs don't deserve a second chance. However, for minor crimes like shoplifting, robbery, things like that, they should get a second chance after they're released. Because businesses refuse to do this, these people are almost forced back into a life of crime merely to survive. Like in my case."

"What happened in your case?"

"When I was twenty, I served eighteen months for statutory rape of a minor."

Both women stared at him with identical, slack-jawed expressions.

"And, if you'll look at my record, you will find that I was exonerated of all charges. But, my point is, people would only see that I was charged with rape and not look any farther. I was disqualified for so many jobs, which is why I enlisted."

"So, you were exonerated?" Usagi asked.

"I've never harmed any innocent."

"Never raped anyone?"

"Not a soul."

"And, if I look at your record, I'll find this?"

"If you don't, I'd like to know why." he replied.

"This is no time for jokes, Clark. Understand that I fear for my daughter's well-being around you, in light of this information."

"I'm honestly surprised Minako didn't find anything about it when she was snooping around about me in the CIA mainframe. But, no, Lieutenant. There is no reason fear for your daughter in my presence. I would never hurt her."

"All I have is your word on this."

"My word, in many circles, is worth a great deal."

Usagi's lips twisted into a grimace as she thought this over. "Let me find out if anything even _remotely_ inappropriate occurs between the two of you."

"The same goes for me." Minako concurred, "And anybody else on that team. Trust me, we'd be the very least of your worries. Let Michiru find out."

"I'm well aware of Sargent Kai'oh's past, Minako, and what she would do to me if something did transpire between young Chibi-Usa and myself. I understand you may not trust me."

"That's an understatement." Usagi muttered.

"But, I'm used to it. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times and my record will support me. You have nothing to fear from me."


	14. Chapter 14

Usagi stood on the bow of the tanker, looking out over the bay, deep in thought about the Cat. The woman looked so familiar. Usagi had seen her before but she would be damned if she could remember where. She quietly ran through a mental inventory of everyone she had ever known, which took a surprising amount of time. She didn't think she knew that many people but, none of the faces and names she thought of matched the one she had seen in the warehouse, yet the feeling of familiarity haunted her. She knew the Cat, she just didn't know how.

She flinched involuntarily when an icy rain drop fell from the sky onto her head. She hadn't noticed that the night sky had darkened with clouds, hiding the moon from her. She always felt a degree of anxiety whenever she couldn't see the moon. The celestial body had always been her inspiration to press on, no matter how bad her situation appeared. It reminded her that, even on the darkest of nights, there was always a little light.

A chilly breeze brought a shiver from her muscles and goosebumps along her flesh. A storm was moving in from the north and, as she turned to make her way back into the shelter of the ship, the sky broke open with a powerful deluge that sent her scrambling.

Despite her efforts, she reentered the ship thoroughly soaked and disheveled, panting to recover from the mad dash to the door. She shivered from the chill and longed for a nice hot bath, in which she could soak herself clean. Luckily, the ship had been outfitted with a pair of massive bathhouses, divided by gender, for the crew. Usagi and her girls all got one bathhouse to themselves while Clark and the male members of the crew got a separate one, for obvious reasons.

She still didn't know if she trusted Clark, though she had done as he invited and checked the records. Everything that he had told them checked out entirely but the revelation that he had been accused and convicted, if wrongfully, had made her leery of him. He seemed to sense her anxiety and tried to allay them as much as possible but, no matter what he tried, Usagi was still suspicious of him. Logic kept telling her that he was absolutely harmless and had never given her a reason to distrust him while maternal instinct kept setting off alarm bells every time she saw him.

Usagi dropped by her cabin long enough to grab her toiletry bag and a change of clothes before heading for the showers. As she walked, she undid her sopping wet braid, allowing her blonde hair to flow freely. For years, she had worn a pair of pigtails that started in twin buns atop her head, giving the appearance of a long-eared rabbit. But, Mamoru's death had caused her to lose her innocence entirely and, as with all childish things, her old hairstyle was abandoned, her hair cut shorter, and a conservative braid applied, which made her look a great deal more like an adult.

The Bathhouse wasn't empty. Ami lounged on one side of the pool, reclined against the wall near one of the flow jets that disturbed the water, allowing the hot, forceful water to massage her knee. Haruka and Michiru were on another end, chatting quietly. Usagi watched, with some amusement, as Haruka doubled over and began to blow bubbles beneath the surface, causing an increasingly annoyed Michiru to pull her back upright.

"Still hurts?" Usagi asked Ami.

"Like you wouldn't believe. The joint's completely destroyed, barely holding together."

"At least, you're out of the brace."

"Not really, I still have to wear a stability brace. I can wear it beneath my slacks so it's not as noticeable. Still, the pain is incredible."

"Isn't your mom a doctor?" Usagi asked.

"Yes, and she keeps me in Oxycontin, which I'm well on my way to being dependent on."

"You know," Usagi began, "I never held any illusions about a cop's life being glamorous but, with all of the compensations and the starting salary and the fact that, until recently, Japan's never had much in the way of crime, I figured it would be easier than a lot of other professions." She scoffed, "Some life, huh?"

"Oh, I know." Ami replied, "I figured I would get some degree of job satisfaction out of this but..." she trailed off, shaking her head, "When all of this is said and done, I'm taking my pension and getting the hell out of this country."

"And going where?"

Ami shrugged, "Dunno. Maybe Europe, maybe America. I've gotten to where I am today by being too much of a thinker, maybe it's time that I become a doer, do something spontaneously and see what comes of it, you know."

"In my experience with spontaneous decisions, they usually turn out for the best. But, and there's always a but, you have to work for them."

"I grew up on the advice that I had to think everything through. 'Look before you leap,' my mother always told me. But Dad, he always told me that, sometimes, a leap of faith is the best thing that can happen to a person. I've always had the habit of thinking things through so thoroughly that I end up talking myself out of any risks involved, hence why I've lived a rather sheltered life."

"So, you said, after all of this ends, you'll travel the world? Settle down someplace else?"

Ami nodded, "And Makoto's coming with me."

"Well, the thing is, what if it doesn't end? What if everything we're doing now is in vain?"

Ami stared into space, thinking for a while, "I don't know what I'll do. But, one thing's for sure Usagi, I can't keep fighting like this forever."

Both women were silent as they brooded over the fate of their nation and their families. Drugs had torn their world apart, divided families and destroyed friendships and, with the world being metaphorically smaller than it once was, there was no escaping the drugs, there was no running away to some other, more fortunate, land and living out the rest of one's days in peace. The only way one could escape the world of substance abuse was to find some deserted island and hope that no one ever found you.

"Mark my words, Usagi. I've never really been one to predict the future or to spout conspiracy theories but, one day, all of this is going to come to a head and all hell will break loose."

"I know." Usagi replied, sadly, "I know. And, the funny thing is, nobody realizes it."

"Oh no, they realize it, they're just too _stupid_ to acknowledge it. They think that, maybe if they ignore it, it'll go away. They won't acknowledge it's presence until it's too late to do anything about it."

"But, this task force was designed to stop the flow of drugs and weapons into the country so, therefore, the problems been acknowledged."

Ami sighed, "Like I said. And now, the only option we have is a total isolationist attitude, which simply isn't feasible and hasn't been since the beginning of the new millennium."

"You've been talking to Clark too much."

"You have to admit, the man has a point. I really didn't realize it before he pointed it out to me. Looking back, it was always right there, beneath my nose, and I didn't know it."

"Ami, don't."

"It's useless, Usagi." Ami replied, sounding depressed, "We're fighting a losing battle and one that will surely destroy everything we love."

Usagi leaped up and swung, the palm of her hand cracked across Ami's cheek, sounding like nothing so much as a whip and knocking the smaller woman into the water. Haruka's and Michiru's heads snapped up, eyes wide, to stare at the vengeful goddess that rose from the other end of the bathing pool, looming over them all.

Ami pushed herself back upright, sputtering and snorting to clear her nostrils of water. She stared up at Usagi, tensing in expectation of another blow.

"I'm sorry but you really needed that." Usagi said, settling back down into the water, "That's enough of your pity-party bullshit. Even if everything goes to hell, even if all of this is in vain, at least, we'll know that we did everything in our power to stop it. Quitting is the ultimate failure. And, you never know, it might turn back in our favor and things will get better. Clark's usually right but the law of averages states that he has to be wrong, at least, some of the time."


	15. Chapter 15

"Alright," Clark announced as he stood before the assembly, "It's become apparent that we're going to need a bit more firepower if we're going to successfully complete our objectives. Your new side arms will be the Glock 9mm, which is a bit more accurate and carries an extended magazine. Your primary weapons will be the M-4 assault rifles." He held up the rifle, a wicked looking beast of steel and ceramic, as example. "I've been reviewing our last mission and, frankly, it's a testament to your skill and ability to work as a team, that you even survived."

"Tell that to Hotaru." Haruka muttered.

Clark continued as if he hadn't heard her, "The MP-10 simply isn't powerful or accurate enough to counter the firepower we'll most likely be facing. I thought they would be. I underestimated our enemy. My mistake has cost lives and I apologize."

The group was speechless. This was the first time the infallible Clark had admitted to a mistake, not only admitted to but apologized for his mistake. Their respect for him as their commander had grown exponentially.

"Now, I'm not taking any chances." He declared, "There is no such thing as overkill, ladies. That is why I'll be adding stun and fragmentation grenades to your arsenal. Sargents Kino and Kai'oh and Lieutenant Tsukino will be carrying breaching charges and Mei'oh-san and myself will be joining the active roster."

Setsuna sat up a little straighter, "Sir, I've never actually had any type of experience with guns or military training of any sort."

"Hence why Sargent Ten'oh and I will be instructing you on the use of these weapons and building your skills in military maneuvers."

"What a motley crew we will be." Usagi observed, "A police lieutenant, three sargents, a corporal and her dog, a detective, a crippled CSI, a lawyer, and an over-the-hill spy. Bad guys, beware."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence, Usagi." Clark replied, "Which reminds me." He held up a set of stripes, "Rei, come here, please."

Rei stood and went to the front of the room, glancing over the smiles as she went. They all knew what was coming and could think of no one who deserved it more.

"Congratulations, _Sargent_ Hino."

l-l-l-l

The inside of Ami's cabin was thick with a haze of white smoke that smelled somewhat bitter, certainly like no other smoke. Ami, herself, sat on her bed with a rolled cigarette clasped between her forefinger and thumb, "Dave's not here, man." She drawled and giggled.

"What are you smoking?" Makoto asked as she entered, even though she was fairly certain that she already knew the answer.

Ami's eyes were beady and blood-shot as she let out a dainty cough and grinned, "Marijuana."

"Ten-to-one odds says Clark gave that to you."

"Jackpot!" Ami crowed with a goofy grin.

Makoto clicked her tongue in disapproval, "Figures."

It wasn't that she had anything personal against the drug. Who could have anything against a small green plant that just happened to create a euphoric chemical in it's bud. But, she was a cop, as was Ami, and disapproved of drugs in general. It was in her job description.

"I know you don't like it." Ami said, perceptively, "but it's gotten me off of the Oxys that were turning my liver into Swiss cheese and it really helps with my depression."

"I didn't know you were depressed." Makoto said, shocked.

"There's lots you don't know about me. I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder when I was twelve." She shrugged, "From my dad's side of the family. You usually don't see the manic side of the disorder, you might be able to catch me at it while I'm working."

Makoto nodded, "I have. You bounce all over the place like...like...some kind of bouncy thing."

"Good analogy. I also get pretty irritable when I'm interrupted while I'm bouncing like a bouncy thing." Ami said before taking another puff of her joint and offered it to Makoto, "Want some?"

l-l-l-l

Haruka stood over Setsuna, who was prone on the floor, pointing an M-4 down range. She nudged Clark and pointed. Clark nodded in approval. These were the times he would look back on with fondness.

"If you two are looking at what I think you're looking at," Setsuna growled, "Keep in mind that I'm holding an assault rifle and don't need to _know_ how to use it at this range."

"Aw, come on, Sets." Haruka whined, "You should take that as a compliment."

"You really _do_ have a nice ass." Clark chimed in

Setsuna rolled onto her side to glare back at them before rolling her eyes and resuming the firing position. She was surprised to find herself a natural marksman and began the proper, tight, grouping of bullets almost immediately, despite her initial trepidation about the weapon. Indeed, she had nearly leaped out of her skin when she had first fired the gun, the report had been deafening despite the ear protection, and had surprised her. But, now that she was over her initial jitters, her aim was rock-steady and she found that she was actually _enjoying_ herself and that disturbed her more than the fact that she would soon be joining the rest of the team on the front lines, instead of staying behind and working damage control.

However, Setsuna had always worked behind the scenes to make sure that everything went off without a hitch, everybody got their due, and the day ended with a glass of Chardonnay. The prospect of joining the rest of her team in the dirt excited her and hefting the weight of this massive rifle in her hands gave her a heady feeling.

She fired another three round burst, nearly squealing like a schoolgirl with excitement as she saw the single ragged hole her shots had made. she had started with a tight, triangular, grouping when they had begun just an hour before and her grouping had grown progressively tighter from there. Soon, there would only be a single, neat, hole for each burst. She was sure of it.

l-l-l-l

A single crewman winked at Usagi as he passed her by. She looked after him before turning to Michiru, "Have we seen him before?"

She shrugged, "It's possible. I don't keep tabs on everyone who comes and goes, too busy, you see. How's your search going?"

Usagi knew the older Sargent was referring to her search for the enigmatic Cat, "I've gone through every school yearbook I've ever had. I've studied the faces of every girl I even vaguely knew since the fourth grade and she doesn't fit any of them. But, I can't help but feel as if I know her. It's driving me bug-shit."

"I hope you don't use that language around your daughter." Michiru grinned.

"Oh, she knows better than to use 'Mommy-words'. What is that fragrance?"

Michiru set down her tea, her eyes gleaming, "Do you like it? It's a gift from Haruka for my birthday."

"It was your birthday? When?"

"Tuesday."

Usagi gasped, "Oh my god! Oh, and we completely ignored it."

Michiru shook her head, her teal curls bouncing, "No, I didn't want a big party or anything so I asked Haruka and Clark to keep it a secret. There's too much work to be done. And besides, I hate being the center of attention."

"Clark knew about your birthday?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? I swear, he knows more about me than I do. It's scary sometimes."

"You know." Usagi mused, "After all of this work and frustration and headache, it feels good to get excited about something as mundane as a new perfume."

"Tell me about it. I cannot wait until all this is over. My entire life has been devoted to law enforcement, to the point where I don't have anything even vaguely resembling a social life. I remember when I was a girl, I was always out with my friends, and chasing boys-"

"You mean, you weren't always a lesbian?" Usagi interrupted.

Michiru looked thoughtful for a moment, "I guess I always was but I just never really realized it."

"Was it because of what...happened to you? When you were younger?"

"You can say raped. I won't freak out." Michiru said acidly, "But no, I've always found other women to be attractive, not only physically but on a deeper level. It seemed that other women understood me on a level no man could ever achieve."

"Don't you think that's a little unfair?" Usagi objected, "I mean, My late husband, Mamoru, wasn't perfect, especially when it came to my monthly Time. But, he tried so hard to connect with me. Relationships are two-way streets. Both people have to work at it if they want it to work. It's not 'he doesn't understand me, she doesn't understand me.' You need to work to understand each other."

"Oh, I know that. But, I just seemed to connect with women better. Haruka seemed like the best of both worlds. She's really protective of me, which I find very romantic, and she has that base level of understanding. I fell for her almost instantly and we would stay up late, talking about anything. We didn't actually have sex until about a year after we had met and, I've got to say, it was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. All of the men that I've ever had sex with were selfish lovers. The moment they gained their satisfaction, it was over. But, Haruka always let me go first."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She is and I love her more than you could ever imagine. She's my whole life. When she called out on the radio that she had been hit, my heart stopped and I was so afraid that I would lose her. I don't know what I'd do without her."

"I know what you mean." Usagi replied sadly, "Mamoru always did this special thing to wake me up every day. He would stroke my back to make me shiver, like I was cold, so I would cuddle closer to him. He would always do that an hour or so before it was time for either of us to get ready for the day, just so we could have time to be together, just him and me. A few days after he died, I woke up and waited for him to do that. I just kept waiting and waiting until I opened my eyes and saw his side of the bed was empty. My first thought was that he had gotten up before me but then, it hit me, he was really _gone _and he wouldn't be coming back. I don't know when I stopped crying. I couldn't sleep, I didn't want to eat, I was a mess. What drew me out was when my daughter came to me and curled up in my lap and told me that-" her voice broke and she took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure. It was a practice she was long familiar with, "she said that it would be okay. That my mother told her that he was in a better place, watching over us, and that he wouldn't want us to be sad."

"And he wouldn't." Michiru gently assured her, taking Usagi's hand.

"I've never been a very religious person but I like to think that he's in a better place. He didn't deserve to die like he did."


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: I'll be adding another OC in this chapter, loosely based on a friend of mine. Really, I'm just using his name and some of his eccentricities. I hope I get them right._

Setsuna looked up as another stack of files were dropped on her desk by one of many of her "personal assistants." These were random crew members who had been conscripted, by her, into running her errands. They were good-natured about it but she still felt guilty about pulling them away from their regular duties, of which there were many, just to do what she was too lazy to do for herself.

This crewman paused to hold the door open, admitting Clark, before excusing himself.

Before Clark could deliver whatever message or make whatever comment he had in mind, she held up her hand, begging silence, "I realize that I am late for training. I was just about to come and see you to ask if we could take a rain check." She gestured, unnecessarily, at the mounds of papers on her desk, "I'm swamped."

"I can see that." He replied, "Which is why I've called in an assistant for you."

Setsuna frowned. She didn't like assistants. She found them, for the most part, useless, aside from menial labor and they tended to get underfoot and mess up her organization, "I don't know-" she trailed.

"Before you say anything, this fellow isn't _technically_ a lawyer, but he knows about as much of the law as you do."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"He's worked with me as a personal legal assistant and is very well versed in the subtle nuances of the law so he could be an asset to you. He could, at least, lighten some of your workload and make more time for _training_."

She caught the hint in Clark's voice. There was no argument here, "Why not?"

"Good. He'll arrive tomorrow."

l-l-l-l

Setsuna waited as she watched the Little Bird descend. Clark had gone to pick up this man and fly him out here personally. She was a little hesitant to make use of an assistant but Clark had left her no choice.

The man who got out vaguely reminded her of a hobo she once saw. The man's hair settled around his shoulders and a scruffy goatee circled his mouth. He dressed like a solder, from his camouflage military cap to his beige boots and everything in between. He wore, like a sash, what looked like a belt tied to a short length of linked carabiner attached to, what appeared to be, a trailer hitch rod that hung at his waist. Needless to say, this was _not_ what she expected. She hoped that her assistant would still be in the helicopter and that Clark was simply offering _this _man work and a place to stay.

"Good morning, Setsuna." Clark smiled, obviously pleased that he had caught her completely off guard, "This is the assistant I was talking about, Gary Peace."

"Howdy, mate." The man chirped with a smile.

Setsuna blinked and then, started laughing. When she had finally regained her composure, she wiped away a few stray tears and caught her breath, "Thank you, Clark. I needed that. I'm a little nervous about meeting this new guy. Where is he?" She asked, looking past them to the chopper.

Clark did not look amused as he gestured to the hobo, as if presenting him. The hobo winked at her.

She could actually feel herself break out in a cold sweat. There was no way in hell that this man could be Clark's vaunted legal assistant. He looked better suited for drinking and midnight muggings. She turned back to her vexing superior and slowly shook her head. He, in turn, glared at her and slowly nodded. Yes, this was her new assistant.

She looked back to Peace, who's perpetual smile had yet to waiver, and smiled, composing herself with surprising speed, "Excuse me, Peace-san. You're not quite what I expected. I'm Meioh Setsuna."

Peace's grin broadened as he turned back to Clark, "You're right, she is a tight-ass."

"No, no, no. I said she _has _a tight ass. But, you're correct as well."

Setsuna was stunned and her jaw hung loosely. Had she just been insulted or complimented?

Peace turned back to her, "Give me a day to get over the jet lag and get my stuff situated and we'll get down to business." And, with that, he left her, disappearing into the interior of the ship.

Clark chuckled as he draped an arm around Setsuna's shoulders and pinned her against him, "Setsuna, this is a very good friend of mine. If you offend him to the point where he wishes to leave, I will _personally_ fling you from this ship." He warned before following Peace.

l-l-l-l

Usagi trotted up to Clark and turned on her heel, trying to match his stride, "I have an idea." she announced.

"Very good, Usagi. I hope it wasn't too painful."

"Har, har." she laughed sarcastically, "Anyways, everybody's feeling a little homesick and, I thought, what with New Year's right around the corner, we could bring the families to us, instead of us splitting up to go with our respective families."

"How are you going to work around the logistics of ferrying everybody out here?"

"I've already spoken to Haruka and Michiru and they both said that they'd be more than happy to help and it would only take a couple of trips. We have more than enough food in storage and enough room for everybody to bed down for a couple of days." 

"What about the case?"

"We can still work on that. I know my mother has always been curious about what I do, even though I can't often tell her anything specific. And besides, a few days off will do a lot of good and we can come back, refreshed and better than ever."

Clark rubbed at his chin for a minute before nodding, "Alright, you have my approval. Let me know if you need anything."

Usagi actually squealed with glee before catching herself. Her face turned red as she cleared her throat, "Excuse me." She began to return to her cabin to send out invitations when she remembered something else that she wanted to ask Clark about, "There's this vagrant wandering about the ship."

"That's Setsuna's new assistant and a friend of mine. He's probably lost. His cabin is 1216, please be so kind as to show him the way back. And be sure to introduce yourself, you'll probably cross paths with him again."

l-l-l-l

On her way back to where she had seen the man, she found Haruka, who was hauling said man by the collar of his jacket, "Where are you going?"

"To ask Clark what he wants to do with this fool." she replied, keeping a tight grip.

Usagi tried to hide her grin. This man seemed to be a magnet for trouble, "Let him go. He's Setsuna's new assistant."

Haruka glanced at the man then fixed Usagi with a look, "You're kidding."

"No. I just went to see Clark about him. Apparently, this guy's a lawyer."

"Am not." He replied, "I just know the law."

"From what side of the bars?" Haruka asked.

"Both. My family has been in law enforcement for the past four hundred years, from the Buckingham Palace Guard to Scotland Yard to the U.S. Army. I'm the only one who hasn't been a cop or soldier."

"And you're name, sir?"

"Gary Peace. But, like Clark, I'm really only known by my surname."

"Well, Peace." Usagi said, "Welcome to the team."


	17. Chapter 17

Usagi had taken notice that, with the addition of his dear friend to the team, Clark was, gradually, becoming more outgoing. She often saw the two sharing jokes and stories, over beer, on the bow of the ship in the late afternoon.

Preparations for the New Year's celebrations had begun in earnest. Makoto and Michiru slaved in the ship's galley, researching recipes for traditional dishes such as Osechi-ryori, Mochi, Sashimi, Sushi, and Ozoni. Traditional post cards were being sent by various team members to their extended family. Usagi had, just recently, begun sending out the cards again. She hadn't the past few years because of Mamoru's death, as was customary while grieving, but this new work that she was doing gave her a new purpose in life and made her feel like a whole new person. She took special care in each of the messages she wrote for her aunts, uncles, cousins, and her grandparents and each included a short haiku about the first letter of the new year. She had to have them ready for Michiru to ferry them back to shore and post them so that they would arrive on the first of January.

Because of Clark and Peace, the token Americans, this New Year's celebration would be a mixture of the two cultures' traditions, with the Japanese bell ringing and the American champagne toast and a small fireworks display at midnight.

Usagi was looking forward to seeing her parents and daughter again. Ami's mother had already reserved her position and Michiru's parents were expected. Haruka hadn't had any contact with her family since she came out publicly and neither of them had told Michiru's parents of their relationship. They were agonizing over whether to inform the Kai'ohs or not.

Rei's grandfather was unable to attend, citing temple duties for his excuse. It made sense as the Sakura shrine was one of the more popular shrines in Juuban Prefecture. Minako's parents would be attending so Usagi expected eight guests and ten team members, not counting assorted crew members, who would be having a separate celebration, there would be eighteen attending this event and the first of them, Ami's mother, would be arriving later that day.

l-l-l-l

Makoto shifted uneasily and played with the shoulder strap of her M4.

Ami rested a hand on her shoulder, "Relax. Nobody's going to snipe me up here."

They were standing on the deck of the ship, waiting for Michiru to return from the port with Ami's mother and whatever mail had arrived for the team.

"You never know." The brunette replied.

Ami laughed, "Makoto, how many times have we stood up here?"

She snorted, "More than I can count."

"And, of those times, how many times have I been shot at?"

"Er...none?"

"_Exactly_. Therefore, the likelihood of anybody trying to kill me while I'm up here is almost negligible."

"'_Almost'_ being the key word."

"_Makoto_." Ami said in exasperation, "You know what I mean. What I'm doing already sets Mom on edge and you fidgeting with your rifle isn't helping anything so, please, _relax_."

Makoto stopped playing with her gun and jammed her hands in her pockets, "I'm bored." she complained.

"I'm Ami. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bored-san."

The hum of Michiru's boat could be heard in the distance, growing louder as it grew closer.

"Ami, will you stop bouncing? Seriously, I didn't even know you could bounce with that knee of yours."

"I'm excited. It's been a while since I've last seen my mother."

"You email her every day."

"Yes, but it's just not the same as speaking to her in person. Besides, when you said that she might be in danger of being used against me, it's kept me on edge. Seeing for myself that she is safe will help a great deal towards easing my mind."

A couple of crewmen were on hand to help with the baggage and lowered a lift down to the boat while Mizuno-san, despite her advanced age, climbed up the ladder with the strength and agility of someone half her age and stood, tall and proud, on the deck of the ship. Saeko Mizuno looked like an older version of her daughter, with just a touch of silver hair at her temples.

Ami limped forward to greet her mother, leaning heavily on her cane. She had already been on her feet for quite some time and Makoto worried about the stress this would put on Ami's still-healing knee. She kept at a respectful distance while Ami and her mother embraced. Ami tried to be helpful and take one of her mother's bags but her mother refused to relinquish it, insisting that Ami be as unburdened as possible. Together, they sought refuge from the freezing air inside the ship, with Makoto following closely.

l-l-l-l

The activity throughout the ship was reaching a fever pitch as the New Year grew closer. Decorations were strung and ingredients for the various dishes were prepared. The Kai'ohs had arrived early on the thirtieth, Haruka had gone to pick them up and they had arrived to find, much to their surprise, their daughter absent. Michiru had returned to the shore to pick up Usagi's family and Minako's parents and was expected back shortly before noon. Work on the case ground to a halt as the members of the team decided that their time would be much better spent with their estranged families. Usagi, herself, spent all of her time with her parents and daughter and, for the first time in too long, felt at ease. The case, with it's dead ends and agonizingly slow progress, was driving her to the metaphorical drink and she knew, as well as anyone else involved in the case, how much she needed this.

It was the evening of December the thirty-first. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony floated throughout the Galley, which had been transformed from it's usual utilitarian tile and long tables to a beautiful Bistro-like setting. Crimson linens covered each table as candelabrum stood tall and candles cast their soft glow over the diners. Subdued conversation drifted over the tables, punctuated with an occasional polite laugh.

Everyone was elegantly dressed, with suits and gowns. This was one of the most important holidays on the Japanese calender and, though it would be celebrated with the traditional Kimonos, that wouldn't be until the next day.

"Y'know," Clark remarked to Peace, "You'd figure that, after spending a year in Japan, I'd have, at least, mastered the use of chopsticks." He still struggled with the infuriating pieces of wood.

Peace, on the other hand, seemed to have been born with them in his hand, "You're a E-6 Krav Maga instructor, a weapons master in all hard weapons, and you're in better shape than most people half you're age. You'd think, after all you've done in your life, chopsticks would be astoundingly simple."

"And yet..." Clark dropped the chopsticks and picked up his fork. "So, how are you liking Setsuna?"

"She won't let me do anything." Peace complained, "I mostly sit around and read books."

"I thought you liked reading books."

"I do, but I _don't _like wasting my time. I have important work to do, Terry."

"What did I tell you about calling me that?"

Peace grinned, "You said that you would chain me up by my ankles, butcher me, and cook me for your next pig roast."

"Damn straight."

"But I'm too skinny."

"Oh, a couple of years in a cage ought to fix that."

"Okay, this is getting entirely too kinky." Peace laughed, "Here you are, talking about chaining me up and eating me. It makes me wonder about you."

Clark leaned closer, "Can you keep a secret?"

"C'mon, man. You know me."

"It really sucks that I'm surrounded by all of these beautiful girls but not a single one is interested in me."

Peace pointed at Usagi, "She seems to be."

Clark scoffed, "Now, you c'mon. She's young enough to to be Carla's age."

Carla was Clark's daughter. She would have been thirty, had the murder never occurred.

Peace sighed, "Don't you think it's time to move on? It's been twenty years and I know Jamie wouldn't want you to be this way. She'd want you to be happy."

"How would you know what _my_ wife would want?"

"Because she was _my_ sister." Peace hissed. This subject was, obviously, still a sore spot for them both.

Clark sighed, "I really miss them."

Peace reached over and patted his brother-in-law's arm, "So do I, but, maybe, it's time to move on and be happy again."

Chibi-Usa trotted up to them and tugged on the sleeve of Clark's jacket, "Clark-san, Peace-san, we're going up to the deck to listen to the bells and mama wanted to know if you wanted to come with us."

"Tell her we would consider it an honor." Clark replied, standing.

It was Buddhist tradition that, on the eve of the New Year, the shrines would ring their bells, tolling one hundred and eight times for the one hundred and eight sins of humanity. The entire group made their way to the bow of the ship, which was pointed into the harbor, and stood at the railing.

Michiru cuddled with Haruka against the cold. Chibi-Usa sought shelter between her grandparents and her mother. Ami stood against Makoto and quietly smoked, grimacing in pain every time she shifted her weight as she waited for the drug to dull her aching knee. Minako settled into Rei's arms as the raven-haired sargent stared wistfully into the distance, as if seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time.

Clark, too, watched the city skyline as the chimes of the bells of the city's various shrines floated out over the water, synchronizing and breaking apart before synchronizing again.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Usagi asked, quietly.

"It is." He replied before turning to her, "I didn't know you were a Buddhist."

She shook her head, "I'm not. Really more atheist than anything else but, I still enjoy hearing them. It almost makes me think that there's hope for this world."

"You know as well as anyone else and more than many, Usagi-chan, that there is a great deal of pain and hardship in this world but, for every person who purposely causes pain, there's a hundred others who, like us, genuinely want to make this world a better place."

As midnight approached, Usagi picked up her daughter and took her back inside.

"Mama," Chibi-Usa objected, "Can't I stay up with you and Clark-san?"

"No, baby." Usagi, gently, denied, "You're still too young. Maybe, one year, you can, when you're a little older."

Chibi-Usa checked her most prized possession, a fluorescent-pink bunny watch that had been a gift from Mamoru. She waited for a moment before looking, expectantly, back at her mother, "I'm a little older now. Can I stay up?"

Usagi chuckled, "No."

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

Usagi held a warning finger before her daughter's eyes, "Usagi, I'm warning you. You may not stay up this year. Now, if you ask me again, you will have to stay here all day tomorrow and you won't be able to join in the festivities with the rest of us."

"But, mama-"

"No 'buts'." Usagi placed her daughter in the bed, "Don't you want to show Clark-san your new kimono that grandma bought for you?"

"Yes."

"Then you'll be a good girl and go to sleep. You have a very busy day tomorrow and need your rest."

Chibi-Usa sighed in disappointment as her eyes drifted closed.

Usagi returned to the galley where everyone had gathered around a large television screen, which showed video footage of Times Square in New York. Sitting high atop a tall pole was the Star of Hope, a massive ball of lights that would fall during the last minute of the year. It was still half an hour before midnight and, though the group had gathered around the screen, they were chatting, happily, amongst themselves. All except Michiru, Haruka, and the Kai'ohs, who stood by themselves off to the side and were, obviously, having a quiet, but very intense, discussion.

l-l-l-l

Michiru laid a hand on each of her parents' shoulders, "Can I speak with you for a moment? Privately?"

She led her parents over to the far side of the galley where Haruka was waiting. Both of Michiru's parents had met her before and both knew her to be a lesbian. But, they didn't know her to be Michiru's lover. After a polite exchange, Michiru broached the subject that she and Haruka had discussed many times, "Mama? Daddy? How would you feel if Haruka and I were to get married?"

Both of her parents stared at her in stunned silence, "But, Michi, what about Akira?" Her mother asked.

Michiru's brow knotted in confusion, "That son of Daddy's business partner?"

"Yes. He's been interested in you and you both get along so well."

"True. But, I really don't see him as anything more than a friend." That wasn't true. She found Akira Chisaki to be little more than a distasteful chauvinistic pig who firmly believed that women were put on the earth for his pleasure. She didn't know where her mother had gotten the idea that they got along. She could barely stand to be in the same room as the man. "Besides," she continued, "I love Haruka."

"Michiru, " her father said, "you know our feelings about..._her_ kind."

Michiru's mouth fell open as she stared at her parents in shock and mute horror. Did her parents just say that? Was everybody in this world so insultingly homophobic? She rubbed her eyes, "I can't believe what I just heard. I don't want to believe it. I thought both of you would be a little more open-minded about this." Her mouth set into a grim line, "Apparently, I was wrong."

"Michi-" Her mother began.

Michiru held up a hand, silencing the woman, "Tomorrow, I will be taking you back to the docks. Until then, I don't want to see or hear you." She turned to Haruka, "I'm going to bed. Suddenly, I don't feel well."

"Michi."

Haruka held Michiru for a moment, feeling the woman tremble with rage, "Good night. I'll see you in a little while."

The trio watched Michiru as she left, walking as quickly as she could without, actually, running. Her anger was represented in every aspect of her body, from her stiff posture, to her quick stride, to the glare she flashed at anyone who tried to stop her.

Haruka returned her attention to the Kai'ohs, folding her arms and setting her face grimly.

"What?" Michiru's father shot, defensively.

Haruka shrugged and shook her head, "I didn't say anything."

"No, but you want to."

"Oh yes, indeed." She replied, "I can think of a thousand things I want to say but, out of respect for Michiru, I'll keep my thoughts and opinions to myself. You should try it."

"This is all your fault." Michiru's mother accused.

Haruka snorted, "No, Kai'oh-san. I didn't ask for any of this." And, with that, she left.

l-l-l-l

Pressing her ear to their cabin door, Haruka heard Michiru's quiet sobs and felt her heart break. Quietly, she opened the door and slipped inside, shutting and locking it behind her. Michiru sat, hunched over, on their bed with her face in her hands. The moment she saw Haruka, she leaped into the woman's arms.

"I'm sorry." she wept, furiously nuzzling Haruka's chest, "I didn't mean for them to insult you."

"No." Haruka soothed, "It's okay."

"No, it's not!" Michiru asserted, "God, I don't think I've ever been so angry. I'm so embarrassed. I'm through with those hypocritical fools."

"No, don't say that. You're just angry. Let them get used to the idea, they'll come around."

Michiru sniffled, "I thought I was supposed to be the reasonable one in this relationship."

"I'm not allowed to be reasonable?"

"No. That's my job." She pressed herself closer, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Michiru looked up, "Don't leave me. Do you hear me, Ten'oh Haruka? You come back to me every single day."

Haruka understood. Her being killed in the line of duty was one of Michiru's greatest fears, "I'll do my best." She replied.


	18. Chapter 18

It was almost expected that the only people who slept aboard the ship, on New Year's eve, were Chibi-Usa, Haruka, Michiru, and the Kai'ohs. Everyone else spent the evening in the galley with a party that was still in full swing, despite the very late hour.

"Don't you think you should sit for a while. You've been on your feet all day." Makoto pointed out to Ami as she set another plate of hors d'oeuvres onto a table.

Ami didn't reply but, instead, fixed Makoto with a look that implied that she was being entirely too overprotective and would do better to be more observant, as she gestured to the comfortable chair she currently occupied.

Makoto blew out a breath, "Right."

"Had a little too much bubbly, Makoto?" Ami teased.

"This is a lot of fun, actually. I haven't celebrated New Year's in forever. Usually, I'm working."

"Crime doesn't stop simply because we must." Ami wiped a hand over her face, "I'm thinking about leaving the force."

Makoto rolled her eyes, "Not this again," she muttered.

"_Makoto_, not like that. I was just thinking that, maybe, with my injuries and all, this should be my last case. Maybe, I should retire."

"And do what?"

Ami shrugged, "Write poetry. I was a lyricist in high school, even got paid for my work a few times. Poetry isn't that big of a difference. One thing's for sure, I can't cruise around in the field anymore and I hate being cooped up in the lab all the time."

"You're too young to retire. You'll drive yourself insane with boredom."

"I'm doing that-"

There was a low thump that was felt, more than heard, throughout the ship. Makoto looked around as the general chatter died away, "What was that?" she muttered to herself.

"If I didn't know any better," Ami mused, "I'd say that came from inside the ship itself."

Clark was speaking into a wall-mounted telephone, the ship's intercom system, and looking progressively more and more worried. He signaled Usagi, who hurried over to him.

l-l-l-l

"We need to evacuate the ship." Clark commanded Usagi and he gripped her arm and pulled her into a corner for this private bit of news.

"_What?_"

"That was my Chief Engineer. Apparently, one of the main engines blew several pistons, which punched holes in the ship's hull, which is now taking on water without a way to stop it. The ship is sinking."

Her blood froze, "My daughter."

Clark nodded, "Be careful. Several crew members are Missing In Action. I think we have a group of saboteurs aboard."

As she left, she saw Clark signaling Minako and Rei. Apparently, though they had never drilled in what to do if they were attacked at their own base, Clark had a masterful plan ready and was setting it in motion with everybody accepting their roles and carrying them out with exemplary professionalism.

l-l-l-l

As Usagi hurried for her cabin, where her daughter slept, she imagined she could hear the water pouring into the bowels of the ship, smell the tangy odor of the ever-present salt, feel the floor begin to tilt beneath her feet.

She prayed, to whatever god would listen, that her Chibi-Usa, her little bunny, would still be snug and warm in her bed when she fetched her.

Various crew members raced past to see to whatever emergencies that had sprung up and to help with the evacuation.

She would never have thought that it would be so difficult and painful to run in heels. She kicked away her shoes, opting, instead, for stockinged feet. She began to sprint down the corridor, which seemed to lengthen simply to frustrate and terrify her, as if she didn't have both of those in abundance.

Bursting through the door, she didn't even pause for a sigh of relief at the sight of her precious daughter in the bed, curled up with her favorite stuffed rabbit. She wasted no time in wrapping Chibi-Usa up in the blanket to protect against the cold.

"Mama?" The child muttered sleepily.

Usagi gently hushed her as she carried the girl back out into the corridor, only to run into one of the crewmen. The same one who winked at her a few weeks before, "Where are we meeting for the evacuation?" she asked him.

He didn't reply. He simply smiled and raised a gun.

Usagi began to back away as her mind raced to come up with a plan. If she could find a branching corridor, she could escape down that.

Her mind went completely blank as she felt a gun barrel press into her back. She searched for something, anything that could aid her in escaping this situation. All she saw was a support column against one wall, with a corner barely large enough to present a shelter for Chibi-Usa. Usagi pressed herself into it and fell to her knees, shielding her daughter with her body. She wondered if dying would hurt but, she could endure anything if it meant seen her Mamoru again.

"I love you, Chibi-Usa." She wept, desperately wanting to see her late husband but not wanting to leave her child, "Mama loves you so much."

"Mama." was all Chibi-Usa replied.

Usagi heard two distinct gun shots but felt no pain. She feared to move lest they weren't finished and were waiting for her to expose Chibi-Usa.

After a moment, she risked a look over her shoulder. The two gunmen lay on the floor, in pools of blood. Over them stood Michiru, side arm drawn and ready, "Are you hurt?"

Usagi stood and shook her head.

"Clark sent me to find you in case you needed help. We can still make it out of here but we need to leave now."

Now, Usagi truly felt the tilt of the deck, heard the groan of stressed steel, and saw the way the blood flowed to the stern of the ship. The tanker was going down. She raced after Michiru, following the Harbor Patrol leader up sloping flights of stairs as sea water began to flood up into the lower levels.

l-l-l-l

The deck of the ship was cold enough to burn the soles of Usagi's feet as she fled with Michiru to the waiting chopper. Handing Chibi-Usa to her mother, Usagi did a quick headcount. There were a few people missing.

"The rest are down in the boat." Michiru volunteered, "Now, get in the bird."

Just in time, the door burst open and Clark backed out of it, firing wildly into the threshold. He turned to see the Black Hawk still on the pad and waved at them, "Get going!" He cried.

"We need to go now!" Haruka began to pull back on the cyclic.

"No! We need to wait for him." Usagi called back.

Reluctantly, Haruka released the cyclic.

Clark looked to see why they were still on the pad, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

The chopper shifted on the deck of the ship, sliding slightly on the pad. The high-pitched whine of bullets ricocheting off of the helicopter's frame. Makoto returned fire with her rifle.

Clark raised his gun and fired at the chopper, obviously trying a very risky tactic to scare Haruka away. The pilot began to back away from the deck.

"We need to wait for him!" Usagi cried.

"He has his own chopper. I _need_ to get you guys out of here!"

Then, they heard it again, the low rumbling of explosives. Flames leaped from portholes as deck plates buckled and with the shock waves. Usagi reached for Clark as Haruka began to pull away. She was yanked back into the chopper as the ship was engulfed in heat and flames.


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: I'll be using some radio lingo here so here's a translation: 10-4=Affirmative, 10-10=Negative, 10-7=Departing, 10-8=Arriving, 10-9=Repeat Previous Message, 10-20=Current Location, ETA=Estimated Time of Arrival._

Usagi tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear as she prepared to address the team. They sat together in the same room they had occupied the night they were assigned their roles on the team and how much they had squabbled. It was amazing how much they had grown closer, more like family, or, at the very least, like colleagues.

"An update on our current status." She announced to the assembly, "Several members of the crew, it has been discovered, were under the employ of the Cat. Destroying Base One was an effort to either stop us, or kill us. I'm leaning more towards the latter. Of the crew, twenty-six bodies have been accounted for with another twelve still missing. We're assuming these twelve to be among those in the Cat's employ. All task force members and their guests are present excepting Clark, who is missing and, presumably, dead. Michiru is overseeing recovery efforts but where do we stand with equipment and evidence?"

"All evidence files were encrypted and stored here as a back-up. I'll need new equipment and assistance to set up another lab here." Ami reported.

"Most of our equipment was destroyed in the blast but we still have more than enough of everything, all of the guns, ammunition, and vehicles." Amara said.

"Both helicopters are here and, of course, Michiru has her boat." Peace affirmed.

"Alright." Usagi confirmed, "As ranking officer, I am now in command of the task force-" There was a heavy thump against the door. "What the hell?" Usagi muttered.

Everyone drew their weapons, expecting another attack as she opened the door. She yelped in surprise as Clark, bloody, burned and soaked, fell through the door and against the table.

"You can't kill me." He rasped, "You can shoot me, you can blow me up, but you can't fucking kill me."

"Someone call an ambulance." Usagi ordered as she and Makoto helped Clark into a chair.

"Belay that order." He objected, "I don't need a damn meat wagon."

"No, Clark. You need to go to the hospital."

"No, Lieutenant. We need to make sure the families are safe. Where are they now?"

"We sent everyone back home."

"Okay. We need to send officers around to each one of them and put them into protective custody. I can guarantee that they are next on the Cat's list of things to do. We also need to find out how the Cat knew where to find us. We need to find the leak in the information pipeline and plug it. How many people knew about us?"

"Not many."

"Good, that'll mean less people we have to go through. Setsuna, I want you to compile a list of everyone who could potentially know about us and what we do. Usagi, you and Detective Aino will go to your parents house to fetch your family. Makoto and Ami will be doing the same. Rei, you'll go up to your shrine and get your grandfather. Arrest him, if you must. You all have your orders."

l-l-l-l

"Are we taking your car or mine?" Makoto asked as she loaded a few spare magazines for her rifle. She knew that this was probably just going to be a quiet pick-up but something told her to come prepared for anything.

"Mine." Ami replied, stuffing two magazines for her Uzi in her back pocket. Apparently she had the same feeling, "It's armored."

She pulled her keys from her pocket and limped to the hearse. Makoto stopped her, "I'm driving."

"Why you?"

"Because you have a bad knee, which you can't flex. You need to move your knee in order to reach the pedals. I, unlike you, have two perfectly good knees, so, don't argue with me and hand me your keys."

"But-"

Makoto snatched the car key from Ami's fist, "Thank you."

Ami grumbled to herself as she followed. It was times like these that she found her girlfriend's protectiveness to be a bit overbearing.

l-l-l-l

Rei opened the back door for Shasta, who, obediently, jumped up into the back seat and laid down, "We're gonna go see Grandpa." Rei told her, "You remember Grandpa, how he spoiled you and fed you table scraps because he thinks I won't have any children of my own for him to spoil."

Shasta wagged her tail in response. Not only did she like Grandpa but she loved to ride in the car. Rei closed the door and double-checked her side arm before climbing into the driver's seat. It was going to be fun, getting Grandpa away from his shrine.

l-l-l-l

Haruka found herself in one of her most hated positions, running dispatch. Keeping everyone coordinated tended to turn her hair gray.

"312 is 10-7"

Usagi was leaving for her parent's in Kyoto. Her journey would take the longest, "10-4, 312. You are 10-7 en route to Kyoto. What's your ETA?"

"ETA 1530."

"Copy, 312. ETA 1530 hours." That would put her at her parent's at about 3:30pm.

"344 is 10-7."

344 was Ami and Makoto, "10-4, 344. You are 10-7."

"Be advised, subject may not be at residence. Will update."

"Copy, 344. Dispatch is advised."

l-l-l-l

"I've compiled a list of the various officials that know about us." Setsuna announced, handing Clark the file.

"There's only two names."

The first is Mygai Mamoru. He's the magistrate of Tokyo. The second is-"

"Sumisu Hirohito." Clark finished. He handed the file back to Setsuna, "When everyone returns, we're going to pay these two gentlemen a visit."

l-l-l-l

Makoto floored the accelerator, laying on the horn as she dodged traffic, flying down the highway at breakneck speed while Ami held on for dear life.

"Makoto, slow down."

She shook her head, "I have a really bad feeling about this, Ami."

"Do you think mama might be in danger?" Ami didn't need Makoto to answer, she felt the exact same way, "Step on it."

The hearse roared as it flew even faster. It was equipped with a powerful V-8 engine that allowed it to do speeds that it's counterparts could only dream of.

Tires squealed as the hearse slid to a halt in front of the Mizuno residence. Ami was out before the car even stopped moving, limping as fast as she could, for the door with Makoto on her heels, rifle at the ready.

Ami hammered on the door with the butt of her Uzi, "Mama!" she screamed, "Mama, open the door!"

Saeko appeared after a few moments, still in her work clothes and more that a little surprised by her daughter's unannounced visit, "Ami, what's wrong?"

"Mama, get your things. You're coming with us?"

"But-"

"Don't argue, just do it."

"Ami, what's going on?"

The door frame next to Ami's head exploded.

"Sniper!" Makoto's training took over as she seized Ami's collar and practically threw her through the door, knocking over Saeko in the process, before ducking inside the house herself. Saeko screamed as another round buried itself into the floor next to her. Ami reached over and grabbed her mother, dragging the woman to the safety of the wall.

Makoto knelt by the door, searching for any sign of the sniper, a glint of sunlight off of a rifle barrel or scope, anything.

There, in the window across the street, was a brief flash of light. The bullet passed close enough to make her ears pop.

"What are we going to do?"

Makoto's decision was made, "I'll go out first and cover everyone. You follow as quickly as you can and go straight to the car."

Ami's eyes searched for a moment, as if she thought she would find another option written on the ceiling, before she nodded. Makoto launched forward and darted down the steps to the front walk, firing as she went. She could hear Ami's Uzi chatter as she followed, pulling her mother with her. Adrenaline lent strength to her injured knee and allowed her to, briefly, walk without her cane.

Makoto saw the sniper's head as he peeked back up, took aim, and fired again, as she fired the last few rounds in her magazine.

Ami dropped down next to the hearse and turned, looking for Makoto. She spotted the woman and her heart leaped into her throat. Makoto lay, on her back, sprawled in the grass.

"No." She whimpered as she scrambled across the lawn to her girlfriend. She picked Makoto up and cradled her in her arms. Ami began to cry as she spotted the blood soaked hole in Makoto's uniform blouse, "No, no, no." she chanted, as if denying it would make Makoto come back to life, "Damn you, Makoto, don't leave me. If you leave me, I swear I'll hate you forever."

She pulled out her radio, "344 to dispatch."

"Dispatch reads you 344."

"Dispatch, we need back-up and an ambulance. Our 10-20 is 300 block south western Juuban, Mizuno residence."

"Copy, 344. Dispatch has your location. Back-up and medical en route."

l-l-l-l

Another of the task force's Impalas slid to a stop behind Ami's hearse. Michiru and Setsuna leaped out and rushed to Ami. Setsuna took up a defensive position, kneeling in the grass with her rifle raised while she scanned for threats. Michiru was helping the paramedics peel Makoto away from Ami, who refused to let go.

"That's enough, honey." Michiru said, gently, as they separated the two. Ami immediately tried to break free but Michiru's grip was firm, "There's nothing more you can do for her."

Ami twisted and turned as she grappled with Michiru, delivering a blow to the woman's ribs.

"Ami, stop it." Michiru cried. Ami continued to sob and wail as the medics loaded Makoto's body into the ambulance.

Michiru finally had had enough. She pulled out her cuffs and locked Ami's arms behind her back, forced the woman to the ground, and kept her there with a knee between her shoulders. Saeko was still sitting by the hearse, where Ami had left her, staring at the whole scene in shock.

Michiru called Setsuna over, "Go get Ami's cane, it's just inside the door there. Then, I need you to take Mizuno-sensei and drive the hearse back to the base, I'll follow with Ami."

l-l-l-l

"So, we're down another one." Clark mumbled into his coffee when Michiru returned. He took a sip of the brew, "Poor kid. How's she taking it?"

"Badly. She hasn't spoken to anyone. She's outside, right now."

There was a cry just outside the door, "Ami, don't!"

Clark and Michiru rushed outside to find Ami standing in the middle of the floor with her pistol in her hand. Saeko stood a few feet away, trying to talk her daughter down.

"Oh, God." Michiru gasped.

The expression on Ami's face was frightening. She was a woman teetering on the edge of sanity and preparing to step out into the void.

"Ami, please, don't do this." Saeko begged.

Clark took a careful step towards Ami and spoke in a low, calm voice, "Listen, Ami. You are to place that weapon on the floor at your feet and step away."

She thumb-cocked the hammer, "You know." She said, sadly, "The last thing I said to her was that, if she died, I'd hate her forever."

"She knew you loved her, Ami." Michiru tried.

Ami shook her head, "I don't think so." She pressed the gun under her chin as tears started to roll down her cheeks, "I'm sorry." She looked up at the ceiling, "I'm coming."

When the report of the gunshot finally ceased echoing, Ami lay in the middle of the floor in a pool of blood. A second bang thundered throughout the room as Haruka, Peace, and Setsuna burst in.

"What the hell?"

"Oh no."

"Jesus."

Saeko dropped to the floor and, hesitantly, crawled to Ami's body. She made a few strangled grunting noises as she reached out and rested a hand on what was left of Ami's forehead. When she pulled back her hand and saw it glazed with her daughter's blood, she began to scream in agony.


	20. Chapter 20

Usagi took a moment to wipe a few tears away before replying, "Copy. 312 is 10-8 Tsukino residence. Will update when we are 10-7." She sighed and set the microphone on the dashboard.

"Makoto and Ami." Minako mumbled, "Damn."

Usagi squared her shoulders and opened the car door, "C'mon. There will be time for mourning later. Right now, we have a job to finish."

Up the walk to the front door, they went. Usagi tried not to appear to be in any type of a hurry but it was very difficult. With what had happened at the Mizuno residence, the Cat had declared her move. This game of hide and seek had just taken it's final victims.

She paused at the door but didn't open it. Something felt wrong, terribly wrong. Her memory conjured up a scene from one of those old American Westerns her father used to watch. A lone sheriff standing in the middle of a deserted town and muttering _It's quiet. Too quiet._

Gently, she grasped the door knob and the door moved slightly. She examined the frame, which was splintered around the latch. She silently signaled Minako and the both drew their guns. Usagi nudged the door with her shoulder and it swung open.

The house had been ransacked, furniture smashed or overturned. Glass littered the carpet along with dark stains that Usagi hoped wasn't blood but knew that it was. Against one wall slumped the body of her father. She crouched before him and checked for a pulse but found none, "312 to Dispatch."

"Go for Dispatch." Haruka replied

"We need medical at Tsukino residence. One body, possibly more."

"Copy 312, medical is en route. Do you require back-up?"

"Negative, whoever was here is long gone."

She sent Minako another signal and the split up, combing the house for Usagi's mother and Chibi-Usa. Hopefully, they were still alive.

In the upstairs bathroom, Usagi found her mother, reclining in a bathtub of bloody water with a bullet hole in her throat. Usagi didn't exactly need Ami to tell her how her mother died. She continued to roam the house, searching every conceivable hiding place for her daughter but turning up nothing.

"Usagi."

She turned to find Minako behind her, presenting a piece of paper. Usagi took the note.

_Greetings Lt. Tsukino Usagi._

_By now, you may have surmised that I am not your typical street thug. What happened to your family is a warning and your final one. You are to disband this ridiculous excuse for a law enforcement task force immediately and return to your regular work. To ensure your compliance, your young daughter will be a guest of mine for the time being. I will be contacting you in exactly twenty-four hours. If, by that time, you are still indecisive, or have chosen to ignore my warning, then your child will be joining your late husband and parents in the afterlife. If you have, wisely, complied with my demands, then she will be returned to you unharmed._

_I feel I should mention at this point that, when you opened the door to your parent's house, you tripped several pounds of plastique explosive attached to a timing device set to measure out one half-hour. I have placed this note in a rather obvious place to test your observational skills. If you have found it, you have approximately thirty minutes to vacate the residence before the bomb detonates._

"Minako, how long do you think we've been here?"

The detective shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe half an hour?"

"Did you read this note?"

Minako shook her head, "Only the first line. When I saw it was for you, I figured it was none of my business."

Usagi grabbed Minako's sleeve and shoved her ahead, "Go!"

"But-"

"Don't talk just run!" 

Both women fled the room, racing down the steps to the first floor. Just ahead of them lay the door, and just beyond that lay safety

"Go!" Usagi cried, urging Minako ahead faster.

There, just beside the door and hidden in the evening shadows, was an illuminated digital readout that displayed thirty seconds and was rapidly counting down.

Over the threshold, they flew as a deafening explosion spewed fire into the sky, making the sun look dull by comparison. The shock of the blast launched Usagi into her car, denting the driver's side door in just slightly. She coughed and wheezed, fearing that she might have broken a rib and subsequently punctured a lung. but, as she shifted her limbs and did a personal assessment of her health, she found nothing out of the ordinary, except that her back and shoulder, where she hit the car, hurt like hell. She could hear Minako calling to her over the roar of the flames. The professional facade that helped her keep calm while searching the house began to crack. Her parents were dead, and the only family she had left, her most precious possession, her child, was in terrible danger. She began to shake as the tension and fear began to overwhelm her. Tears began to course down her cheeks. She had worked kidnapping cases before, before she became a Lieutenant. They rarely ended well. The Cat had given her twenty-four hours to decide whether or not she would leave the team but Usagi knew that, unless she was proactive and pursued the Cat, she would never see Chibi-Usa again.

l-l-l-l

Rei never really realized just how many steps there were leading up to her Grandfather's shrine. She used to dart up and down these steps multiple times a day for years but, now that she had been gone for a while, she found herself becoming winded. And, she was only two-thirds the way up.

Shasta stood up at the top of the landing, staring down at her mistress with an almost mocking expression. Or, perhaps it was only Rei's imagination.

"Shut up." She growled at her dog.

Shasta huffed at her before turning in a circle and laying down. _I think I'll take a nap while I wait, _the dog seemed to say.

"Showoff", Rei grumbled.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rei reached the top of the steps and paused a minute to catch her breath. Shasta marched around her legs, impatient to continue on and see what tasty treats Grandpa had for her.

"We're only staying a moment." Rei warned her, "just long enough to pick up Grandpa and then it's right back to the base."

Shasta huffed a second time. She seemed to be becoming annoyed with Rei's constant nagging.

Stopping just long enough to remove her shoes, Rei opened the door to the shrine and let herself in. She had called earlier to let her Grandfather know she was coming. He hadn't sounded well. Perhaps, at his advanced age, the stress of running the shrine was becoming too much.

"I'm here, Grandpa." She called

Her grandfather sat in the common room, a large suitcase at his feet. Rei hoped that this was a sign that he wouldn't be obstinate about leaving the shrine, "Are you ready?" she asked.

He nodded and stood heavily.

"I don't like this any more than you, old man, but your life is in danger. We've already been attacked and lost a couple of members."

"Who?" He asked.

"Mizuno Ami and Kino Makoto."

His eyes widened, "The blue-eyed cutie and that great big brunette?"

She nodded as she picked up his suitcase.

He sighed, following her to the door, "What is this world coming to? In my day, the worst crime we had was the _occasional _murder. I'm very proud of you, Rei-chan, and what you do but, it scares the hell out of me. I keep having nightmares of having to go to your funeral. I've already buried my daughter, Rei. I don't want to do the same for my granddaughter, as well."

l-l-l-l

Usagi didn't even pause to knock on the door, nor did she hesitate to step between Setsuna and Clark, who were, obviously, having a very important discussion, and hand her boss the ransome note from the Cat.

Clark read it and, after a moment, turned to Setsuna, "Would you excuse us a minute, please? And close the door behind you."

Setsuna bowed and left. The pair waited until the sound of her heels faded away before Clark turned to Usagi, "What happened?"

"My parent's house had been broken into when Minako and I arrived to pick them up. The house had been ransacked, my parents shot to death, and my daughter has been kidnapped. Minako had found that note and brought it to me. The Cat had placed an explosive device just inside the door. We barely made it out before the bomb detonated."

"It says here that the price of your daughter's safe return is that you disband this unit."

"Yes, sir."

Clark rubbed at his chin, thinking. "In that case," he declared, "I'm going to pull you off of the unit."

"What?"

"For two reasons. One, when the Cat calls tomorrow, you will have been off of the task force and, therefore, no longer responsible for our actions. Secondly, because it is your daughter tha is involved, you hold too much emotional intrest in the case at had, thus jeopardizing your, your daughter's and your colleagues' lives."

"But, sir-"

"Lieutenant Tsukino Usagi, I am officially, pulling you from active duty and the task force. Get your things from your locker and go home."


	21. Chapter 21

Clark sat with the remnants of his team in an unofficial meeting. The question on everyone's mind was the whereabouts of Usagi. Carefully, Clark explained the situation of Chibi-Usa's kidnapping and the demands that their nemesis had put on the Lieutenant in exchange for the child's safe return. This news was met with quiet, simmering, rage that seemed to have taken over the team following Makoto's murder and Ami's suicide.

The doctor's abrupt departure had left the entire team in a considerable bind. Only Peace and Michiru had any kind of experience sifting through evidence and neither could hold a candle to the late doctor. Without Ami's prodigious skill and logic, the chances of finding Chibi-Usa alive were slim.

"I've put Lieutenant Tsukino on suspension for an undetermined amount of time. Because of her emotional attachment to this case, it is my feeling that she would not be able to complete the case with the indiscriminate mindset that would be necessary." He explained, "Also, the Cat has demanded that we disband this unit. It is my decision that we do so."

"You can't be serious." Haruka objected, "You can't simply tuck your tail and run, not when that poor kid's still out there, certainly terrified. She needs us now more than ever."

"Calm, Sargent." Clark commanded. "I understand the need to rescue Chibi-Usa and return her to Usagi, safely. What I am proposing is that we lead the Cat to believe that we have followed her demands and gone our separate ways without actually doing so."

"I'm not sure I understand." Rei replied.

"I think I do." Said Setsuna. "What he wants to do is disband the group officially while continuing to work together unofficially." She hissed her displeasure, "You play a dangerous game, Clark. The legal implications are staggering. Not to mention the obvious danger to Chibi-Usa should our cover be blown before we're ready to make our move."

"The risks are, indeed, great, Setsuna. So are the rewards. There is no guarantee that Chibi-Usa will be returned. We have nothing but the Cat's word on that and she may decide to kill the girl in order to prove a point. She's shown no regard for innocent life in the past, why should she now simply because a child is involved?"

"What's the move?" Peace asked.

"Lieutenant Tsukino will return later today, approximately one hour before the Cat is due to call. Michiru and Peace will monitor the call and try to trace it. If we can get a positive identification on the call's origins, then Haruka will be on standby to do a quick flyover over the area of the call's origin while the rest of us plan the rescue. We have three hours before Usagi arrives, let's get set up."

The team began to break up to see to their various tasks.

"One more thing," Clark added, "Usagi must not be allowed to leave the building after the call is completed. If I know her, she'll try to get her daughter back. And, right now, she's the biggest risk to Chibi-Usa's safety." 

l-l-l-l

The few hours counting down the Usagi's return passed in a blur as Haruka made certain that her chopper was fueled and the systems were in proper working order. Peace and Michiru, with assistance from Setsuna, set up the computers that would trace the call, which would be coming in on Usagi's private mobile number.

Rei and Minako set about the task of inventorying and packing all of the weapons and munitions. It was safe to assume that the Cat had the warehouse under surveillance and would look for them leaving to confirm that her demands had been carried out. It was Clark's plan to move and make a big show of it. Their new base would be in another harbor several miles from their current location.

Usagi arrive right on schedule, clearly impatient to have her daughter back. It was the manner of her arrival, however, that had everyone's attention. She had obviously done some shopping during her brief time off and it was obvious that one couldn't find her outfit anywhere but a military surplus store. From her high black combat boots to her black military cap, the tank-top, the cargo pants and utility vest, it was apparent that she had every intention, if the call did not go over well, that she would go after her daughter herself. The Cat had shown that she was no longer playing games. Usagi, it seemed, had taken the same mentality.

"I can only assume that you have some hare-brained scheme in the works." She said to Clark without any type of greeting whatsoever.

"I can only assume that you're preparing to do the exact opposite of what you should do."

"And what should I do?"

"Go home and let us handle this." Clark replied, sternly.

Usagi laughed, humorlessly, before leaning close to him and lowering her voice to a hiss, "Like hell I will."

"Don't do this. You'll be putting your daughter in serious danger."

"Oh? And she's safe where she is?"

"You know what I mean. Stop this childish arguing and do as your superior commands."

Usagi cocked an eyebrow and stared at Clark, crossing her arms over her chest, "I agreed to come here and let you trace this call for my own reasons. I have no intention of following your, or anyone else's, commands. I will go and I will find my daughter, with or with_out_ your help."

For the first time in a long time, Clark was speechless. He simply stared at the petite blonde police lieutenant and knew that there would be no stopping this woman. Usagi held more courage than any mother Grizzly and he was certain, now more than ever, that the Cat had bitten off more than the bitch could chew. He had to stop this madwoman before she got herself and her child killed but, for now, he decided it would be best to play along.

He took her into the office where the entire crew was waiting, except Haruka who was standing by in her chopper, ready to lift off. Usagi plugged her phone into the computer and the wait began.

l-l-l-l

At three o'clock exactly, the phone rang. Usagi opened it and pressed the speaker button, "Yes?"

"Lieutenant Tsukino, so good to hear from you." The Cat purred.

Michiru keyed up the trace program and it began running.

"Is my daughter safe?"

"Of course."

"I would like to speak with her."

"I'll happily let you speak with her, just as soon as you tell me what you're doing at that base of operations."

The Cat _did_ have the place under surveillance. That didn't really surprise Clark but it seemed Usagi had not drawn the same conclusion. She turned to him, eyes wide with surprise.

"Because I wanted to speak with you personally." He replied.

"And just who might _you _be?"

"My name is Jacob Castle and I am the head of this task force. Lieutenant Tsukino is my second-in-command."

"I see. What can I do for you, Castle-san?"

"Well, for starters, you can return Tsukino's daughter. Unharmed, if you please. Then, you can give us your current location so that we can come and arrest you for kidnapping, extortion, trafficking, dealing in controlled substances, and question you in any number of other crimes in which you have been linked to."

"Ah. Well, you see, I was under the impression that Lieutenant Tsukino was intelligent enough to heed my warning if she wanted her daughter back alive. I suppose that I was wrong on that count. No matter, what's one more murder in the great scheme of things."

"Oh, you wouldn't do that." Clark challenged. He was now entering very dangerous territory.

"And why wouldn't I?"

"Simple, if you kill the child, then you'll lose whatever leverage you have with us. And then, what's to stop us from coming down on you with the speed and fury of a Texas tornado."

Michiru turned and nodded to Setsuna, who spoke quickly and quietly into her radio, giving Haruka clearance to lift off. They had the Cat's location. Now, the only question was, was the woman stupid, or arrogant, enough to make the call from within her own base.

"Well, I guess I'll have to take my chances then." The Cat continued, "My associate has informed me that a helicopter has just lifted off from your base, piloted by Sargent Ten'oh. I can only assume that you're tracing this number. If that is the case then I take great pleasure in informing you that I am using a public telephone far from my actual headquarters. Also, I can assume that Lieutenant Tsukino has tried to double-cross me and, I must say Lieutenant, that was a very unwise idea indeed and your daughter will pay the price for your stupidity. However, I am in a generous mood, I will hold off for exactly forty-eight hours. The day after tomorrow, your daughter will die. I wish you the best of luck in finding her, and _me, _in that time frame."

There was a click and the line went dead. Usagi turned to Clark again, pale and fearful but with a dark hatred behind her icy blue eyes, "_Fuck_." She hissed, leaping from her chair and bolting for the door.

On her way past, she snatched up an M-4, a few spare magazines, and a box of cartridges before racing for the door. Michiru appeared in front of her, "I can't let you leave, Lieutenant."

"My daughter is in danger." Usagi pleaded, "Get out of my way."

"She's in greater danger if you interfere."

Usagi dropped the cartridges and magazines into the pockets of her pants, slung the rifle over one shoulder, and drew her service revolver, "Sargent Kai'oh, get out of my way."

"Usagi, I'm sorry but-"

"Bullshit, you're sorry." Usagi snarled, thumb-cocking the hammer, "_Get. Out. Of. My. Way._"

"Usagi, you're not thinking rationally-"

Usagi had had enough. She raised her gun and swung, the barrel cracking across Michiru's cheek bone and cutting a deep gouge just under her eye. Michiru fell to the floor, shaking her head to try and clear her vision.

"You're right." Usagi replied, coldly, "I'm not thinking rationally. I'm thinking like a mother."


	22. Chapter 22

The man, a small twitchy character, watched the blonde race for her car, leap in, and take off. He liked to watch her run, the way that her chest bounced, it was the only thing that bounced, excited him. If only he could take her, she would be quite a conquest. Her and that blonde pilot in the Black hawk he had seen earlier. They both would be fun to take and break.

He pulled out his mobile to call his employer and inform her of these new developments when a soft growl. Looking up, he saw the largest, nastiest, Shepard he had ever seen. The dog had it's hackles raised and displayed it's _large_, sharp, teeth.

"Nice doggie." He managed weakly, trying to edge along the fence to his car, "Nice doggie, good doggie, _big_ doggie."

The dog snapped at his leg, forcing him against the fence. It's position blocked him from his car.

Then the dog did something terrible. It began to bark. _Loudly_.

l-l-l-l

Rei followed Shasta's barks. She had learned to read the dog's barks, whether they were excited and playful or aggressive and threatening. These were definitely the latter. She wondered what her partner had gotten into.

Shasta had a skinny kid, definitely crack addict material, backed up against the perimeter fence around their base. She kept him there, growling and nipping at his legs every time he tried to move. She drew her side arm and leveled it at his chest, "Don't move! Hands where I can see them! Do it! Do it _now_!" she commanded.

She saw the kid's eyes dart between her and a beat up piece of shit car. His, she assumed. He looked like he might try to run for it, "Don't even _try_ it. I'm not in the mood for that." She then noticed, to her revulsion, his eyes run over her, pausing at her hips and chest, "Don't e_ven_." she growled.

l-l-l-l

Michiru babbled something unintelligible as Clark poked around in her mouth, searching for any cracked, broken, or missing teeth.

"What was that?" He asked distractedly.

"Ah sayhed pleesh shtop phullingh onh mah cheeksh. Thah hurhs."

"Sorry." He apologized, pulling his fingers out. "Your dentist would be proud, or relieved. Not a bit of damage."

"That's good." She replied, massaging her jaw.

Clark pulled out the report forms, "There's only this last bit of business to take care of."

She looked down at the sheet, "Oh, there's no business. I'm not pressing any charges."

"While that is admirable, Sargent, Usagi did assault you."

"She was frightened for her daughter and not thinking clearly. It's perfectly understandable."

Clark nodded and put the forms away, "Then, it didn't happen. You should watch your step a little more carefully, Michiru. You might trip and fall again."

Michiru smiled, "I will."

The door swung open and Rei stumbled through, dragging a man with her, "Look what I found."

The man was cuffed and protesting loudly at his brutal treatment at the hands of the police, threatening litigation if he wasn't released immediately. Rei practically threw him into a corner and snapped her fingers. Shasta took up her post as the man's temporary guard.

"Who is he?" Clark asked.

"No idea. He wasn't carrying identification. He did have _this_ though." She tossed him a mobile phone.

Clark opened it and immediately pressed the "send" button, calling up the list of most recent calls. He selected the first one and listened to the ring.

"Yes?"

One of Clark's little known talents was his ability to change his voice. He could perform a passable imitation of a woman, which he did, "So sorry, dear. I appear to have dialed the wrong number."

"Oh, that's alright."

"I'm so very sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It happens to all of us."

Clark closed the phone and crouched down next to the man, "Guess who I just spoke to. Your boss. The Cat."

l-l-l-l

"I'm sure you know who she is." Clark growled. "What her real name is."

The man said nothing, he simply slouched in his chair and stared out at them with vacant eyes.

Clark seized his collar and hauled him up onto the table, "There is no faith in this world that condones harming children. Right now, she has a child at her mercy and she _will_ kill this child. Now, by not telling me where to find the Cat, you'll be just as guilty as she, if she kills the child, in the eyes of whatever god you worship.

Still, the man said nothing.

Enraged by the silence, Clark hauled him off of the table and into the wall, "If she kills that child, I'll kill you!" he roar.

"Enough!" Minako cried, coming between the two and pushing her commander away. "Why don't you go have a smoke and calm down a little. We're getting nowhere with threats."

Clark reluctantly nodded and left the room, not to fetch a cigarette but to observe the detective through the one-way mirror in the room.

Minako turned back to their prisoner and gestured back to the chair, "Why don't you have a seat?"

Watching her carefully, he sat back down as Minako took the chair across the table from him, "It's hot in here." She complained, loosening her tie. The uniform she wore was one she had rushed to make specifically for this. A police detective's uniform but she had taken in the seams in several places, making the blouse and slacks tighter.

Minako propped her long legs up onto the table and leaned her chair back, undoing the buttons of her blouse. She had just undone the third one when she noticed him staring, licking his lips. She paused, "Do you like what you see?"

He didn't respond, simply continued to stare. She returned to her musing, absently rubbing her thighs, "I tell you, there is not a man in this town who knows how to please a woman." she flashed her most seductive smile, "Do _you_ know how to please a woman?"

He twitched and she smiled. She almost had him.

"Now, I'll admit that I'm a tough girl to please. Castle, he came the closest anyone has come in years but he simply doesn't have the stamina anymore. It's not his fault, I suppose we've all got to grow old sometime, but-" she sighed forlornly before crawling up onto the table and kneeling there with her legs spread wide. Had she been wearing a skirt, he would have been able to see right up it.

"I'll ask again," she repeated, "do you know how to _please_ a woman?"

He nodded.

"_Prove it_." She challenged.

He nearly leaped on her but she pushed him back down, "I have a price, you know. You have a bit of information I want." She undid the button on her slacks and pulled the zipper down just a hair, allowing her panties to peek out, "I want to know who the Cat is."

She could see it in his eyes. His fear of his employer warred with his lust for her. She decided to push the odds in her favor a little more. She reached behind her and removed her heels, allowing them to clatter to the floor before stretching out again and rolling onto her back, allowing him the perfect view of her cleavage, "So, how 'bout it, sailor?"

He tried again to leap up onto her but again she pushed him down, "No, no. Information first. And then, you may do whatever you wish to me." She pulled out her cuffs out and locked them around her wrists, "You could even tie me up."

He whimpered and shifted, hesitating again, repeatedly opening and closing his mouth before fear won out over lust and he shook his head.

Minako rolled back upright and sat back on her calves, placing her hands flat on the table between her knees, as if forever barring access to her womanhood. She looked away and pouted. Hitting the latch on the cuffs, not a true pair but the quick-release fetish kind, she slid backwards off of the table, "It's your loss." She told him.

l-l-l-l

After five hours of interrogation, Clark had learned only one thing about the man. He could do an excellent imitation of a mute.

"We're not getting anything out of him." Minako observed with an exasperated sigh as she and Clark lurked in a side room, allowing the man time to stew and think about his fate.

"Don't fret, Detective. Everybody has their button, we just have to find his."

"But we've offered him bribes and protection. We've threatened him with everything under the sun. We've played "Good Cop Bad Cop". Hell, I even offered _myself_ for Christ's sake. The only thing we haven't done is-" Her eyes widened as the realization dawned on her, "_No._"

"It's the only thing we haven't tried." Clark reminded her.

"Because it's so illegal." She pointed out.

"Chibi-Usa would disagree with you."

Minako ground her teeth and growled in annoyance.

"Minako, we are running out of time and this is the best lead we have. For Usagi's sake, I want to get that little girl back safe and sound.

Biting her lip, she nodded, "What do you want to do?"

"Get Michiru. I need to speak with her."

l-l-l-l

"Yes. The Harbor Patrol office _does _have a decompression chamber but I don't see-"

"And you know how to use it?" Clark asked.

"It's been a while but why-"

"Do you have the keys to the office?"

Michiru pulled them out of her pocket, "Right here but what-"

"Fetch our new friend, Sargent. And stop asking so many questions. The less you know about my intentions, the better."


	23. Chapter 23

It was midnight on the first day. They now had 42 hours to rescue Chibi-Usa. Clark held the man steady while Michiru worked the lock and opened the door. She was shocked to find the office empty and dark. Harbor Patrol ran twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, or, at least, it _did_.

"The city council decided that a Harbor Patrol was no longer necessary." Clark explained, dragging their prisoner inside.

"Then, who's going to watch the harbor?" Michiru asked.

"You're asking me?"

Her mouth twisted in annoyance before they continued on. She led him to a back room where a long steel cylinder. On one end was a wheel lock. Michiru spun the lock until a loud, metallic, thunk sounded, signaling that the heavy bolts holding the door closed had released. There was a groan of neglected metal as the door swung open on it's hinges. Clark unlocked the hand cuffs and shoved the man inside. Michiru then closed the door and spun the wheel again, locking the hatch shut.

Along the side of the Decompression chamber was a long window made from thick plexiglass. Though this, medic could monitor the patient being treated within the chamber. The chamber had an intercom system to facilitate communication. Clark activated the chamber and pressed the intercom button, "Comfy?"

"What do you want from me?" The man cried, obviously anxious about this new development, "I haven't done anything wrong."

"I beg to differ." Clark replied.

The air pressure within the chamber was set at sea level. He increased it to 2500 feet below sea level, "Let's begin with your name."

"Fuck off."

"Fuchov? Really? Are you Russian?" Clark asked playfully, increasing the pressure to 5000 feet.

"Fuck. Off. And let me the fuck outta here."

"Sure." The pressure was increased again to 7500 feet, "When you tell me what I want to know."

Michiru was amazed that this man didn't seem to notice the steady increase in air pressure and she now had a good idea of what Clark was planning. Decompression chambers were used to help divers combat decompression sickness, a potentially fatal condition that developed when divers surfaced too quickly and nitrogen bubbles in their blood would collect in the extremities and around the organs.

If the pressure around a person was suddenly lightened, the nitrogen bubbles would suddenly burst, causing severe damage to the cardiovascular system and internal organs. Not only was this potentially fatal but it was also extremely painful.

Clark had gradually raised the pressure in the chamber to 20,000 feet below sea-level, "Well, if that's how you feel about it."

The man gestured rudely and Clark twisted the control knob, quickly bringing the pressure to 5,000 feet _above_ sea level.

The first indication that decompression sickness had begun to set in was that the man began to shift, trying to find a comfortable seat. The nitrogen bubbles were beginning to collect in his joints. The pain rapidly grew from there as he gritted his teeth and began to tremble. He turned pale and splotchy as blood was pulled away from the surface of skin. Red trickles began to ooze from his ears and nose.

"Do you want the pain to stop?" Clark asked.

The man writhed in pain. Michiru wanted to pity him, she really did, but every time she tried, her mind conjured the image of Usagi's adorable daughter, bound, terrified, and without anyone to comfort her. Michiru gritted her teeth as this image brought memories of her own time in captivity. No, even though this man may not have played a role in Chibi-Usa's kidnapping, she couldn't feel sympathy for him. It seemed too much like a betrayal. She simply leaned against the wall, crossed her arms, and tried not to listen to his growing screams of agony.

"Do you want the pain to stop?" Clark asked again over the screams.

"Y-yes." The man sobbed.

"Then answer my question. What is your name?"

"K-k-k-kenji Asami,"

"Very good, Asami-san." Clark replied, raising the pressure equal to sea-level.

"Now, the next thing I want to know is, what do you do for the Cat?"

Kenji panted, still recovering from the effects of the decompression sickness, "I-I'm a courier. I carry messages and do errands."

"Where is the Cat's headquarters?"

Kenji hesitated and Clark began to lower the pressure again, causing twinges of pain throughout his body. A warning, his only one.

"3 kilometers to the west. Warehouse twelve."

Clark looked back to Michiru, who nodded. She knew that building, this was her harbor, after all. It was owned by a company that made Cat food. How fitting.

"One last question, Asami-san. What is the Cat's real name?"

Kenji hesitated and Clark's hand started for the knob. Before he could touch it, Kenji replied, "The Cat's true name is..."

l-l-l-l

Usagi sat on a bar stool in one of the American style diners that had been cropping up everywhere, sipping a cup of terrible coffee. She hadn't eaten all day, worry over her daughter had destroyed her appetite.

She shouldn't have rushed off like she had. She didn't have any information on the Cat. Her only option, which wasn't really an option, was to go block-by-block, street-by-street, and house-by-house, looking for her daughter. Perhaps, since Cat had already made her call, she should go back to Clark, eat some crow, and ask to rejoin the force.

Usagi laid a few yen on the counter for the coffee and took her leave. Her mobile buzzed at her hip and she opened it as she got into her car, "Yeah?"

"Get you butt back to base immediately, Lieutenant. We have to go and get your daughter." Clark growled before hanging up.

Usagi started her car but had to wipe a few tears from her eyes. She thanked the Kami for Clark, that horrible, vexing, infuriating, blessed, wonderful man who would put her family back together.

l-l-l-l

Clark and Michiru took no chances with Kenji, who was in no real shape to resist as they cuffed him again and led him out to the car. Michiru would take him out to the jail and meet back up with them at the base when they were ready to begin the assault on the Cat's stronghold

Weapons were checked, cleaned, loaded, and set for the upcoming assault on the Cat's headquarters. Haruka would be playing support again, circling the building as the others went in. Setsuna paced nervously. This would be her first mission and she would be the first to admit that, despite the training, she was no soldier. Minako, who would be leading one team, and Clark, who would be leading the other, poured over blueprints of the Warehouse. Usagi had arrived and would be under Clark, mostly so he could keep an eye on her and keep her out of mischief.

Since they didn't know Chibi-Usa's exact location, they would have to search every single room, of which there were many, in the warehouse. Clark selected entrance points on the north and south ends of the building with the extraction point on the roof, where Haruka would pick them up.

"We will be split into two teams of three." Clark briefed them, "Michiru and Rei will be led by Minako while I will lead Usagi and Setsuna in the second team. Peace will pilot the MH-6 and will be spotting with Haruka. Team one, led by Minako, will enter from the north entrance with Team two will enter from the south. Team one will concentrate on the lower level while Team two will proceed to the second level to search for Chibi-Usa.

This will be a swift strike operation, people. So I want efficiency. and speed. I don't know if the Cat is able to monitor our radio frequencies so we'll keep chatter to a minimum, just to be safe." He pulled an eight-by-ten glossy photograph from a folder, "This is our secondary target, the Cat. She is to be taken alive if at all possible. I want to grab her as quickly as possible before she has a chance to call in reinforcements but Chibi-Usa is our primary target. We must get that girl our alive."

Usagi took the photo from Setsuna and felt her mouth become dry as cotton. Minako leaned over her shoulder to look at the photo, "Hey, Usagi. Didn't we go to school with her?"

The face staring back from the photo exuded the kindness and innocence Usagi knew the girl was capable of. It was impossible to think of her as the monster that had made so many lives difficult, had caused so much pain, and now threatened the life of the only family Usagi had.

"The Cat's true name," Clark continued, "is Naru Osaka."


	24. Chapter 24

Rotors thundered as Haruka chased Peace across the early morning sky. Shadowing them from below, two of the Impalas raced through the narrow streets and alleys. At a designated point, Minako, in the lead car, turned off of the road to come at the warehouse from the north side.

"Radio check." Clark commanded.

"Alpha, standing by." Minako replied.

"Peacemaker, standing by." Peace giggled.

"This is serious business here, Peacemaker. Let's be on our 'A-game'."

"Roger that, command."

"Windstar, let me hear from you."

"Windstar is on station and standing by." Haruka radioed.

"A little faster on the reply next time, Windstar. If you please."

"Copy, Bravo lead."

Parking his car, Clark flashed a blue laser, signaling that he was in position. Minako's red laser flashed back. Everything was in place. Clark led his team around to a side door and paused there, crouching in the shadows, "Bravo lead to Peacemaker and Windstar. We execute in five minutes."

"Peacemaker copies."

"Windstar copies. We party in five."

Clark signaled Usagi, who darted forward, avoiding street lamps like the plague. In her pack, she carried one of the breaching charges. She crouched and attached the charge to the door, setting the timer for four minutes and thirty seconds before retreating with the rest of her team to the fence line.

Haruka began her holding pattern, circling the building in a clockwise direction while Peace circled farther out in a counter-clockwise direction. Everyone waited with baited breath.

"Three, two, one."

The charge detonated, blowing the door completely off of it's frame in a blinding flash of light and a deafening explosion. Right on the tail of the first's echo, the second charge detonated on the other side of the building.

"Go, go, go." Clark radioed, darting into the building. He stepped over the body of a guard that had been watching the doorway and swept his rifle throughout the room. He could hear Usagi and Setsuna dart up the steps to the second floor behind him. Two men charged from the lingering haze of smoke and were immediately dropped. Clark's impressive marksmanship skills had not diminished in the slightest during his long years of inactivity. God, it felt good to be behind the trigger, once more.

Usagi and Setsuna's rifles chattered on the second floor. Clark raced after them but, at the last second, went left instead of right, sweeping those rooms clear. He could hear team Alpha busily taking care of hostiles on the first floor as they swept through the building. Once they were certain that the ground floor was completely empty, they were to proceed upstairs to assist in the search for Chibi-Usa.

There were several flashes of light and low thumps echoing up through the floor. Team Alpha, it would seem, was having more trouble than anticipated and was forced to use stun grenades to apprehend the guards.

He could hear Usagi begin to call for her daughter, her voice gradually growing louder and more frantic. Clark couldn't decide whether this was a good or bad development. On the one hand, the sound of Usagi's voice might cause Osaka, the Cat, to hesitate. On the other, it might make her hand all the swifter.

There was only a few more rooms left to check before he could go to Usagi. He kicked the door in on the first one, which was empty. A sound caught his attention and he glanced back into the room, scrutinizing it closely. A shadow shifted in the corner. He pulled out his flashlight, a small but powerful group of L.E.D lights, and switched it on. The white beam swept the corner, starting high and gradually moving down.

Sitting on the floor and curled into the corner, bound and gagged, eyes bright with fear, was Chibi-Usa.

The only clean areas on her grimy and bloody face were the tear tracks but she seemed to have cried herself dry long ago. Clark started towards her and she began to struggle all the mightier, pushing against the floor as if she were trying to force her way through the wall and into the safety of the adjacent room.

"No, no, no, no." Clark assured her as he crouched before her, setting his rifle aside, "There's no need to be afraid."

She was too terrified to listen and began to kick at him. He gripped her ankles solidly in a single, meaty, hand and pushed them back to the floor. With his other hand, he gently cupped her cheek and tried to calm her, "You're okay. You're okay. It's me, Chibi-Usa-chan, Clark-san. I'm not going to hurt you."

Tears began to flow anew as Clark, as gently as he could, peeled the tape from her lips. Chibi-Usa, for her part, stayed strong and silent while he ministered to her, cutting away the tape that held her tiny wrists and ankles. He saw the bruises on her arms where her kidnappers had gripped her, her face had a few scratches on it, and she had a bruised eye.

The moment she was free, her arms latched tightly around his neck. He settled his rifle over his shoulder and picked her up, carrying her with him. He could see Usagi with Setsuna across the warehouse on another platform.

"Chibi-Usa!" Usagi cried, "Answer me!"

"Mama!"

Usagi spun and took in the image of Clark striding towards her with her daughter, snug and safe, in his arm, and immediately charged for them.

Time seemed to slow as Clark saw a shadow move behind Usagi, past Setsuna, "Setsuna, behind you."

Setsuna spun around to face the gunman, just as he fired, and caught a round in the abdomen. She fell with a scream of pain to the catwalk. Usagi reached out for Chibi-Usa as the gunman fired a second time. Her eyes went wide as the bullet slammed into her back. Her stride faltered as she fell to the floor.

"Mama!" Chibi-Usa shrieked as Clark turned, putting his body between her and the gunman, and drew his side arm. It would be a tough distance for a handgun but he was fairly certain that he would make it.

He emptied the clip, each round finding its mark as bullets peppered the gunman's body and he fell backwards, over the railing, to the cement floor below.

Chibi-Usa struggled against his arms to get to her mother. He set her down and went to see to Setsuna, who was groaning in pain as she struggled to sit up.

"Enough," He said, gently pushing her back down, "You're going to tear up your guts."

"God, it hurts." She panted.

"Lie still. I'll get help."

"Clark-san." Chibi-Usa called, "Mama won't wake up."

He raced back to Usagi but was hesitant to touch her lest he injure her further.

"Has she gone to see Daddy?" Chibi-Usa asked.

He checked her pulse, then her breathing, "No, baby." He replied, "She's just really badly hurt. She needs to rest." He turned to her, "Will you watch her while I go and get help?"

She nodded.

"Good girl. Don't touch her or you might hurt her worse."

Footsteps thundered up the stairs to the second floor and Clark stood, reloading his pistol and nearly killing Rei as she appeared. The sargent ducked as the bullet whizzed over her head. She rolled across the catwalk, drawing her own pistol. She saw Clark and lowered her gun, "What the hell?"

"Thought you were a hostile. Get over here, we have wounded." He got on his radio, "Bravo lead to Windstar."

"Windstar copies lead. Things are noisy down there, everything alright?"

"Negative, Windstar. The package is retrieved but we have wounded. We need immediate evac to Juuban Second General."

"Windstar copies. Making approach now."

Michiru and Minako joined Rei, who picked Chibi-Usa up and began to carry her up to the roof and to the safety of the chopper.

"Fetch the body boards off of the copter." Clark commanded Minako and Michiru. The rotor wash from Haruka's chopper caused the building to vibrate and brought renewed cries from Setsuna. Michiru raced off after Minako, pausing only long enough to check Setsuna before continuing on.

It was only a moment before they returned with the boards, first loading Setsuna, then Usagi. Rei returned from dropping off Chibi-Usa, who was now under the watchful eye of Sargent Ten'oh.

Michiru and Minako carried Usagi off while Rei stayed behind. They still had to find Osaka. Together they leapfrogged down the catwalk to the only door left unopened. Rei suddenly stopped and looked over the edge to the gunman that had shot up Usagi and Setsuna, "I know him."

"Who's that?"

"That guy, Umino-something. He and Osaka were an item all throughout school."

"Oh, well, that's what he gets for shooting up my people."

There was a light behind the door. Rei and Clark crouched to each side of the doorway and, on Clark's signal, they swung the butt of their rifles, slamming them into the door and smashing the cheap lock. Inside, behind the desk, was Naru Osaka, who just had enough time to pop something into her mouth. With speed that surprised even him, Clark leaped across the room, over the desk, and onto Osaka, knocking her to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rei cried.

"She has a suicide pill." Clark replied, shoving his hand into her mouth, "Don't bite down, you bitch."

His fingers curled around the gelatinous mass between her teeth and he triumphantly yanked it out, "You're not getting away that easily."

Rei rolled Osaka over and snapped handcuffs over the woman's wrists while Clark radioed Peace to let him know the outcome of the mission.

"Naru Osaka." Rei said, all business now that the action was over, "You are under arrest for kidnapping, extortion, possession of controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, dealing in illegal arms, and we'll finish this up at the station."

l-l-l-l

Rei shoved Osaka, who was rather giggly, into the back of the car, "I don't see what's so funny."

"You will." Osaka promised.

There was a sudden boom and a blast of heat as Rei turned to see the warehouse erupt in flames, "Oh well, we still have plenty of evidence against you."


	25. Chapter 25

Clark never liked hospitals. Only twice had he been in one as a patient. The first time, the doctors had given him too much morphine, the second time was too little. Neither were experiences he'd soon repeat.

Chibi-Usa toddled along beside him, holding a massive teddy bear under one arm, her other hand clutching his as he guided her through the maze of hospital corridors. They had already been to see Setsuna, who had spent the majority of the visit in a drugged stupor. She had required some minor surgery to repair the damage done to her intestines and remove the bullet and she was still in a great deal of pain but would recover completely in a few months.

Usagi was also lucky to survive her wounds but the damage had been done. Hopefully, seeing her daughter would bring her out of the depression she was experiencing.

"Now, remember," he reminded Chibi-Usa, "Your mama is still pretty badly hurt so you have to be easy with her."

"Yes, Clark-san."

He opened the door to Usagi's room and let her in first. Usagi lay in the bed, dozing quietly but was awakened by her daughter's happy shout. Chibi-Usa struggled to climb up onto the bed and nearly fell before Clark caught her and lifted her up the rest of the way. He set the bear on the bedside table while she crawled across the bed and up onto her mother.

"Baby." Usagi murmured as she held her child, planting kisses on cheeks, forehead, and any part she could reach, simply pleased that her daughter was unharmed.

"How are you feeling?" Clark asked.

Usagi turned her attention from her daughter to him, "I don't know." She replied, "I can't feel my legs."

Clark nodded.

"They say I'm a paraplegic now. I'll never walk again."

He nodded again, "What do you remember?"

"Seeing you with Chibi-Usa and going to get her but, after that, nothing."

"Okay, let me fill in the blank spots. One of Osaka's gunmen shot you in the back. The bullet separated your spine before exiting out just below your left breast. Had the round passed centimeters off in any direction, it would have pierced your heart or your lungs, killing you. You were extremely lucky, Usagi."

"That's really a matter of opinion, I guess." She replied.

"Don't say that. Your daughter is still alive and well, you're still here and able to take care of her. You still have the team and we'll help you out any way we can."

"But, how will I keep a job? I need to work to care for her."

Clark shrugged, "So, you'll end up being a desk jockey, a pencil-pusher. There's no shame in that. I was one for the longest time. It'll probably be less stressful than being on the streets and you're almost guaranteed to come home to her every night."

"Nothing is guaranteed, Clark. You should know that." She replied.

"Touche."

"Mama." Chibi-Usa patted her mother's shoulder to get her attention.

"What, sweetheart."

"Clark-san and I brought something for you."

Clark handed her the massive bear, which she handed to Usagi, "Here."

Usagi ruffled her daughter's hair as a genuine smile grew on her face, "He's lovely." She handed to bear back to Clark, "Let's set him over there for now."

"Why?"

"Well, it's almost time for Mama's lunch and she doesn't want him to get all messy."

"Speaking of which," Clark said, "We have to go, Chibi-Usa."

"Already?" She whined

"Yes. We have to go meet Ten'oh-san so you can spend the day with her while I go talk to that bad lady."

"Haruka's watching her?" Usagi asked.

"We have a rotating schedule that's along the lines of 'Hey, guess what' but it works out okay and nobody's been inconvenienced. Haruka gets her most of the time since she's still, technically, off of active duty."

"Ten'oh-san's fun, Mama. She has lots of cool games and knows lots of funny stories and she's teaching me how to _fight_."

"Oh, wow. Ten'oh-san's a really good fighter so there's no one better to learn from but you be careful not to get hurt."

Clark lifted her off of the bed and set her back down on the floor, "Okay, Mama. I'll see you later.

As they began to leave, Usagi called Clark back, "I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for everything you've done."

"You just worry about getting better and we'll figure out whether or not you need to thank me later."

l-l-l-l

Minako was the first to take on Naru Osaka or, more accurately, Naru Osaka's lawyer. While the two parlayed, Osaka sat to the side, looking smug.

"Moreover," the lawyer said, working himself into a rant, "We have video footage of your leader, Jacob Castle, who was later identified as Terrence Clark, assaulting my client. The fact that your _leader_ lives under an alias damages your credibility. You had no warrant to enter the premises nor did you have probable cause."

"Begging your pardon, counselor." Minako interrupted, "but we had reason to believe that your client was involved in a kidnapping case and was holding a child against her will Tsukino Usagi the second."

"You have no proof of that." He scoffed.

"Oh, but we do. We have audio recordings of a telephone conversation between your client and Tsukino Usagi, Usagi the second's mother."

Clark smiled as he watch Osaka pale. They had her now and she knew it. He was surprised that it had never occurred to her that they would record the phone call. That was standard procedure all over the world.

"Also," Minako continued, "Osaka-san is being charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a police officer. Two of our members were wounded by persons under her employ."

"Those gentlemen that you attacked were my client's bodyguards." The lawyer objected.

"I find it highly improbable that your client would require _twenty-three_ bodyguards. One or two, yes, but not twenty-three."

"My client's family has made dangerous enemies."

"And, these 'bodyguards' were armed with _illegal_ automatic weapons. Where did those come from, I wonder?"

"I bought them." Osaka claimed before her lawyer could stop her.

"Did you now?" Minako was pleased with this new development, "Well, in that case, we'll have to stick an arms dealing charge on you." She made a notation in the file, "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"Don't say a word." Osaka's lawyer snapped.

l-l-l-l

"The drug charges won't stick." Clark concluded, "But she practically confessed to the kidnapping and arms dealing charges. Those will be more than enough to put her away for a long while."

"What if she manages to strike a deal with the prosecution?" Rei asked.

Clark laughed, "Have you forgotten who the prosecutor is?"

"Setsuna?"

"Do you honestly believe that Setsuna would be willing to strike anything even vaguely resembling a bargain?"

Rei grinned, "No, not really."

l-l-l-l

"Oh, almost, almost, almost." Haruka cried, rocking into Chibi-Usa and, playfully, knocking her down into the sofa cushions as the girl beat her in yet _another _race, "You must be cheating."

"Ten'oh-san, how can I cheat at a video game?"

"I don't know but this is the fifth game in a row you've beaten me at. You _must_ be cheating." She set the controller down, "How about some lunch before Clark-san comes to collect you?"

"Okay."

"What would you like?"

"Um, peanut butter and jelly."

Haruka snapped her fingers, "Excellent choice. In fact, I think I might join you in a PB and J."

As Haruka saw to lunch, the door to her apartment opened, "Haruka?"

"Kai'oh-san!" Chibi-Usa cheered as she raced across the room and leaped into the sargent's arms.

"Hi, sweetie." Michiru couldn't help but marvel at the resiliency of children. This little girl's life had been in a nightmarish situation not twenty-four hours before. Her mother was in the hospital and paralyzed from the waist down and here she acted like she hadn't a care.

"In here." Haruka called, "We were just going to have some lunch. Want some?"

"No, just ate. Clark called me. He's staying late working on Osaka and asked me to take Chibi-Usa around to the hospital."

"Clark-san's not coming?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"No, baby. He's working tonight so you get to spend the night with me after we go around to see your mama. I have to talk to her for a little while."

l-l-l-l

"We got her on the kidnapping and gun charges so she'll be going away for a long while." Michiru reported to Usagi.

"How long?"

"Twenty years at the _very_ least."

Usagi nodded, stroking Chibi-Usa's cheek while she dozed against her shoulder, "I want to see her before she goes away."

"Who, Osaka?"

"Yes."

"Do you think that's wise?"

"I don't care. I want her to see what she almost destroyed. I want that knowledge to haunt her for her entire prison term."

"Do you think she'll even care?"

"Oh,. yes. She'll care. I'll make her care." She cuddled Chibi-Usa, "How is she sleeping?"

"Fairly well, from what I've heard. There were a couple of nightmares but she's started sleeping through the night. Haruka's training wears her out so she can't help but sleep, as you can see."

"I'll be getting out in another week or so."

"You're recovering quickly."

Usagi shrugged, "Always was a fast healer. I'm just glad she's okay."

"Children are amazingly resilient. Watch, when everything gets back to normal, she'll be fine."

"But everything _won't_ get back to normal, will it? She's not stupid. She knows things have changed forever. She knows mama can't walk her to school anymore, that grandma and grandpa aren't going to baby-sit her while mama's at work. She knows that things will never be the same as they were."

"She also knows that her mama's still with her. She knows that, even though her grandparents are gone, that she has a whole slew of friends who are more than happy to help her and she knows that what is new now will eventually become the comfortable norm."

Usagi laid her head back as tears began to trickle from her eyes, "You're right." She glanced over at the wall clock, "Wow, it's late."

Michiru checked her watch. It was nearly midnight, "I'd better get her to bed."

Usagi nodded and gave her sleeping daughter one last kiss, "Good night, baby. Mommy loves you."

Michiru lifted Chibi-Usa up and cradled her, "Good night, Usagi. Recover quickly. This little girl needs her mother."

"Good night, Michiru. Thank you."


	26. Chapter 26

Clark pushed his Impala harder, weaving in and out of the nearly stand-still traffic. Motorists attempted to get out of his way, signaled by the single rotating beacon on the roof of his car, but the congestion on the highway forbade it. There was a reason for his rush through the pre-dawn commute.

Naru Osaka had been found dead in her cell, apparently by her own hand.

It was impossible. He had seen to her suicide watch detail himself. But the call had come in, waking him from a deep sleep. His first commands were that the body not be touched in any way, shape, or form. Since he was the Officer in Charge of her arrest, his orders had been followed without question. He wanted to make sure that it was truly Osaka and not some body double that she had arranged for a prison break.

Juuban Prefecture Penitentiary was a sprawling imposing structure of cement and steel. It housed over sixteen hundred inmates, both those serving sentences and those awaiting their time before a judge.

A badge had been given to him by Commissioner Sumisu to allow him free access to come and go as he pleased throughout the jail. He clipped it to his lapel, tossed the beacon onto the passenger seat, and proceeded to the barracks entrance where a Corrections Officer met him.

"Good morning, sir."

Clark was in no mood for pleasantries, "The body?"

"Has not been moved, sir. As per your orders."

The CO punched his access code into the keypad and the heavy steel door buzzed, allowing them entrance.

"When was she found?" Clark asked.

"About an hour and a half ago."

"And the Medical Examiner?"

"Is standing by, waiting for you. Right this way, sir."

The CO stepped to the side and allowed Clark into the cell. A couple of other officers, a crime scene photographer, and the ME were crammed into the tiny cell. Clark took the offered latex gloves and donned them before crouching over the body.

Osaka laid face-down on the cement floor of her cell. A shiv, a sharpened piece of metal, in this case, a spoon handle, was clutched in her hand, "Who gave her metal utensils?" He asked.

"We don't know, sir." another CO replied.

"What do you mean, you don't know? She was supposed to be under twenty-four hour suicide watch. She shouldn't have been able to shit without you knowing the color and consistency and, anyway, what's she doing with metal utensils? She was only supposed to get plastic so that she couldn't do what she just did."

He examined the wound on the back of her head, right at the base of the skull. The stab had killed her immediately so there was next to no blood loss. Clark scrutinized the wound, "She didn't do this herself."

"What do you mean?" The ME scoffed, "Of course, she did."

"If you really believe so, then you're an incompetent bastard. She could not have reached all of the way around to the back of her head to stab herself at this angle with enough force to penetrate the skull. It would have had to come in at a forty-five degree angle, at least. No," Clark stood up and pulled the gloves off, "this was an inside job."

l-l-l-l

"Who did it?" Usagi asked.

"That's the question everyone's been asking, isn't it?" Clark replied, helping Rei gather up Usagi's things. She had been given a clean bill of health and would be released that day. It had been over a month since she had been wounded and a week since Osaka's murder and they hadn't turned up any leads on anything.

"This dead end bullshit is beginning to get on my nerves." Usagi grumbled as Clark lifted her out of the bed. She settled her arms around his shoulders for a little extra security as he carried her over to her new wheelchair and set her in it.

He dropped a pair of fingerless leather gloves into her lap. These would protect the palms of her hands from the wheel rungs as she pushed herself along. She pulled the snug-fitting gloves over her hands and tightened down the wrist straps.

"Your daughter wants to push you around Usagi." Rei commented, earning a chuckle.

"Har, har." Usagi replied sarcastically.

"We've modified your apartment for maximum handicapped accessibility and bought you a new vehicle that you can drive."

Usagi smiled, "You guys didn't have to do that."

"No, but we wanted to."

They met Peace and Chibi-Usa just outside of the doors

Usagi's new van was custom built for wheelchair access. Clark explained to her how to work the controls to open and close the door and operate the ramp. Driving controls were equally simple. She simply had to twist two grips on the steering wheel for acceleration or squeeze them for brakes.

She found, getting out of that hospital, that her outlook had significantly improved. She could think more clearly and felt some of her old excitement and curiosity, feelings she hadn't known since Mamoru died, bubbling up from within her as she followed Clark back to her apartment, wondering what other surprises he had in store for her.

l-l-l-l

Usagi rode with Chibi-Usa up the elevator to the floor her apartment on and, since there wasn't enough room in the cab for everyone, Clark had to climb several flights of stairs to her apartment. She remembered having to climb those steps every day and night. She had been tempted, after some of her longer shifts, to take the elevator, but her conscience always caught up with her.

Just inside her front door, there was a small step that she sat on to put on and remove her shoes. It had been turned into a small ramp. Without bothering to remove her slippers, she rolled up the ramp and in to her living room. The heavy curtains had been closed and none of the lights were on, making the room pitch black even though it was just after noon outside.

"SURPRISE!"

The lights went on as people leaped from various hiding places. Haruka and Michiru fell from the closet, with Haruka still doing up the last few buttons on her shirt. Minako tried to vault over the back of the sofa but caught her foot and face-planted into the floor. She was on her feet in a moment, giggling at her own goofiness. Rei and Shasta belly-crawled out from under Usagi's coffee table while Peace stood in the middle of the floor, apparently having made no attempt to hide at all, and holding something behind his back.

"Now," Peace said, "I know hospital food sucks so I've brought you a little surprise."

He dropped a warm paper bag in her lap. Curious, Usagi opened it to find four of the largest, greasiest hamburgers she had ever seen, and she would know all about burgers. Police life had made her a fast-food connoisseur. She yanked one out, ripped off the wrapping, and had devoured it without pausing for a breath.

Everyone simply stared at her. "Jesus." Haruka muttered.

"Thanks, Peace." Usagi gave him her most charming smile as she used a napkin to wipe grease from her lips, "You'll never know how much I needed that."

l-l-l-l

After the party, Clark showed her all of the features of her "new" apartment. The counter tops had been extended out and lowered, allowing for her wheelchair. Her old shower had been torn out and a new, enclosed, shower with a bench had replaced it.

It was her new bed that had impressed her the most. Two handles hung from bars on the ceiling, allowing Usagi to pull herself up onto the bed. There was only one small problem. The bars hung on Mamoru's side of the bed, which she hadn't touched in three years.

"If you can, would you get into bed?" Clark asked.

Usagi blinked, "What?"

"I'd like to check the length on the rods and adjust them, if need be. Could you get into the bed?"

Usagi blushed, wondering what she had been thinking, "Uhm, sure."

She rolled up to the edge of the bed and locked her wheels, examining the handles from below, "Let's see." she muttered to herself.

She reached up and grasped both bars, pulling herself off of the wheelchair. On the end of the right handle was a button, easily accessible with her thumb. She pressed it and the whole assembly, mounted on a table in the ceiling, rotated, turning her around so that she faced away from the bed. The whole process had been completely silent so she didn't have to worry about her neighbors complaining about noise. She lowered herself down and sat on the edge of the mattress.

"How's the length?" He asked, "Not too difficult to pull yourself up?"

She shook her head and looked around the room. Sitting here on what she still thought of as Mamoru's side of the bed, even after three years. She had been devoted to her job and daughter, never giving a single thought to starting another relationship with another man. What, she wondered, would he have to say about it?

"Usagi?"

She looked over at Clark, "Yes?"

"Everything okay?"

She smiled, "Yeah." She lifted herself back into the wheelchair, "It's late. Let me walk-" She glanced down at her legs, "You know what I mean."

He followed her though the apartment and to the door, "I'm meeting with Sumisu tomorrow to try and get the surveillance footage from the Osaka's cell." He mentioned, "Do you want to come?"

She shook her head, "No, I think I'll stay here and rest with Chibi-Usa. But, feel free to stop by and let me know what happened. I'll make dinner."


	27. Chapter 27

"So, you're telling me," Clark concluded, "that you have no idea, whatsoever, where the surveillance footage for Osaka's cell is?"

"That sums it up." Sumisu replied, looking over some paperwork.

Clark had not risen to the upper ranks of C.I.A spooks because of his good looks and natural charisma. He had a sixth sense for when someone wasn't being entirely truthful and, right now, that sense was ringing like crazy. Sumisu was hiding something. He _knew_ who had offed Osaka, "So tell me, how are you coming along with that gambling addiction?"

Sumisu looked up and there was a flash of something in his eyes. Guilt, perhaps? "I haven't set foot inside a casino in years." He replied.

"Years? Really? It looks like you have it about beat, I'd say."

Sumisu nodded, "If you'll excuse me, I have a _ton_ of paperwork to finish up here."

"Oh, of course, of course." Clark stood from his chair.

"Please excuse me if I don't see you out."

"Not at all. I know the way to the door. I promise I won't turn up in the evidence locker. Again."

Sumisu smiled at the little joke before returning to his work.

Closing the door behind him, Clark pulled out his mobile phone, "Minako, time to put those prodigious hacking skills to work, my darling. I want you to find me some videos."

l-l-l-l

Usagi found navigating her small apartment a bit of a challenge in her new wheelchair, even with the modifications Clark and the rest of the team had so considerately made for her. She couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Naru Osaka, the infamous Cat, was dead, even though Naru had been one of her best friends all throughout school. She was also a little disappointed. She had wanted to see Naru one last time before what would have been, undoubtedly, a very long prison term and, given her crimes, one that she might not have survived.

She had wanted Naru to see the pain she had caused, the lives she had destroyed, all because of her insatiable greed. The human factor obviously meant nothing to the woman in the face of power and money. Usagi always marveled at how people were more than willing to sacrifice others for a few extra dollars that they would probably never see.

Also, Usagi had begun to see Clark's point when he had stated that there would be no going back to the Tokyo she knew growing up. Her's was a city where it was perfectly safe for a child, even a young one, to wander the streets in search of adventure, she had done it so many times herself. Now, the news was filled with information on missing children and, everywhere she turned, she saw "Have You Seen Me?" posters. It was a frightening world that they lived in and Usagi didn't want that for her daughter. What if Chibi-Usa was kidnapped again? It was entirely possible, given the current state of the city. And, next time, Usagi might not be so fortunate as she had been this time. For the first time in her life, she considered leaving the city and moving out to a nice house in the country, with a nice, big, yard for Chibi-Usa to play in. Out in the country, unlike the more populated urban areas, there was almost no crime, except for the occasional drunken teenager gang destroying mailboxes. It wasn't that Usagi approved of such behavior, but, put into perspective, it didn't seem that big of a deal.

Locking the wheels, She sat back, looked over her home, and tried not to think about how close she had come to never seeing this place again. Her eyes moved to a set of shelves that held pictures. One in particular held her attention. It was of the day Chibi-Usa had been born. She lay, cradled in Usagi's arms and sound asleep. Usagi, herself, looked exhausted but had still managed to keep bright eyes and a big smile for her visitors, all the while praying that the photo opportunity and well-wishing would end so that she could get some rest before Chibi woke up for her next feeding. Mamoru sat with them both, his arm around her while he gazed, proudly and lovingly, down at his new daughter. She remembered that he had remarked to her, later that evening, how amazing it was that, together, they had created life and, if they could create life, the sky, itself, was the limit.

l-l-l-l

"Okay," Minako announced, angling the screen of the computer so that Clark could see, "This is gonna cost you, big boy. I had to do some serious digging to get at this but I think you're going to like it."

The screen showed a still and slightly blurry image of the inside of Osaka's cell. Osaka laid in her bed. She seemed to be waiting for something but that was not unusual. Ninety percent of jail time was spent waiting.

"Watch this." Minako said, beginning the footage. "She lays there, paces a little bit, lays back down. Then, it's suppertime so she eats. Potty break, gets a drink of water. Here, things get interesting."

Clark watched Osaka dart to her cell door and speak with someone. That someone seemed to have the keys to the door because it opened and she backed up quickly, obviously feeling threatened. Her assailant charged in and slammed her against the far wall of her cell before throwing her to the floor. The assailant climbed on top of her and, for a moment, it looked like he would rape her.

Obviously, Osaka thought the same thing. She began to struggle harder, kicking and flailing as she fought to unseat him. He pulled something out of his pocked and jammed it into the base of her skull. Her struggles ceased instantly. He pulled out the shiv and set it in her hand, curling her fingers around it. Then, he suddenly looked up at the camera.

"Son of a bitch." Clark muttered.

The Cat's murderer was Hirohito Sumisu.

Minako looked up at him, "What's the move, boss?"

Clark shook his head, "This is gonna be a bitch to work with. Technically, we're not even supposed to have this. We need Setsuna."

"She's in no shape to give her opinion on anything, much less the law." Minako observed.

Clark growled, "We'll see about that."

l-l-l-l

With Minako's laptop in his bag, Clark, once again, made his trek through the hallowed halls of Juuban Second General. Peace trotted along at his side, watching the comings and goings of the doctors, nurses, and occasional "Jail bait" with interest.

Setsuna's room was dark and quiet. She slept restlessly, still in quite a bit of pain. She had refused most drugs, citing that, during her teenage years, she had been addicted to painkillers and she didn't want to risk addiction again. Therefore, the doctors only gave her muscle relaxants and sleep aids.

"Hang on, Clark." Peace held up his hand, pausing his friend, "This needs to be done with more gentleness than you know."

He sauntered around to the side of her bed and leaned down next to her ear, "Wake up, Setsuna!" He screamed.

Setsuna immediately leaped awake and punched Peace between the eyes. For the rest of her life, she would claim that this was an accident and nothing more. Clark, however, knew that this was her little revenge against Peace for all of the grief that he had caused her.

"That's what you get, you American bastard!" She yelled down at him before falling back into her bed, groaning in discomfort.

"Good evening, Setsuna. Are you feeling any better?" Clark asked.

"I _was_." She replied, "Before this idiot decided that now would be an excellent time to play 'Scare Them Awake'. I swear to you, Peace, you will rue the day you pissed me off."

"Better pissed off than pissed on, that's what I always say. And, by the way, who says 'rue' anymore."

"_I_ say 'rue' and that's all that matters." Setsuna paused, "I'm glad to see that you got a haircut, Peace, and look respectable now. Wait a minute," She reached up and pulled Peace's hat off, "Oh my God! I knew it!" She crowed, "I knew you looked familiar. I knew it, knew it, knew it."

"Knew what?" Clark asked.

"Berlin Hilton, Germany, twenty years ago!" She shot at Peace.

"Oh, God." He mumbled.

"Somebody want to clue me in?" Clark asked.

"Do you remember when we were traveling through Germany and we stopped at that hotel?" Peace asked Clark.

"Yeah?"

"And remember when I got really sick and vomited on that Japanese chick?"

"That was you?" Clark asked Setsuna."

She nodded, "We were vacationing there, my family and I." She returned her attention to Peace, "That was a _brand-new dress_!" She yelled, "You _ruined_ it!"

"I guess that's where the term 'Ugly Americans' came from." Clark laughed.

l-l-l-l

"It was Sumisu." Clark confirmed to Usagi as he helped her fix supper. "The frustrating thing is the video is the most solid evidence we have but it's not admissible. Minako's hacking, while appreciated and necessary, complicated everything. And, anyway, even if we could use it, the defense could easily argue that the footage had been doctored. And there goes everyone's careers, right down the toilet."

"What motive would the commissioner have for killing Osaka?" She asked.

"As long as I've known him, Hiro's always had this terrible gambling addiction. He's sought help on many occasions but never seemed to be able to beat it. I'm thinking that he was in debt to Osaka. When he wasn't able to pay her back, he agreed to help her, instead. He fed her information from the inside as well as steered investigations away from her."

"But, this task force was _his _idea. Why, then, would he put us all together with the directive to go after drug gangs, knowing that we'd, sooner or later, start sniffing out Osaka?"

Clark took a sip from his beer, "Reading through everyone's personnel files, I noticed that each member of the team was the best in their chosen division. Ami was an unstoppable C.S.I. That's what earned her that unofficial nickname."

"Terrier." Usagi replied. She, herself, had often heard it said that Ami was as tenacious as one of the tiny dogs.

"Makoto's cynical attitude and general distrust of everyone made her one of the best homicide officers on the force. Haruka's hard-ass attitude and Michiru's charisma and stubbornness made them natural leaders. Minako and Rei are two peas in a pod when it comes to their work ethic. Did you know that Minako is _still _working on a cold case from almost ten years ago?"

"The Blackwell case. I had heard rumors."

"Setsuna's prowess in the courtroom are the fodder of legends. She's simply the best and most dedicated. Even Hotaru, barely out of the academy and already showing considerable skill and potential."

"Which leaves me."

Clark nodded, "Violent crimes has closed more cases than _ever_ before under your leadership."

"I still don't understand. We are the best the T.M.P.D has but that would only increase the chance of us catching Osaka and blowing their whole operation wide open."

"Sumisu probably never figured on us lasting this long. He probably hoped that we would be killed by Osaka. When we brought her in, he knew that his plan had failed. He had to kill her before she tried to give him up for a better sentence. He couldn't risk it."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out. All we need to do is figure out a way to get him."

"Sumisu's not stupid. He was a cop before he became a bureaucrat so a trap gambit won't work on him like it did with Osaka."

Usagi sighed, "We'll figure something out."


	28. Chapter 28

Kenji Asami, escorted by a Corrections Officer, paused just inside the door to the visitation room. Inside, there were a dozen different cubicles, each separated by floor-to-ceiling partitions and divided by a plexiglass window through which the inmate could communicate with their visitor via a telephone intercom that was monitored.

Kenji hadn't been expecting anyone and, when the CO had fetched him from his cell with news that he had a visitor, it came as a great surprise. The CO unlocked the cuffs and shackles before setting him down at the first chair and taking his place directly behind him.

"Good morning, Asami-san." said Clark with a wolfish grin.

"What do you want?" Asami asked suspiciously, "I've already told you all I know."

Clark shook his head, "Not quite." He pulled a photograph from his pocket and pressed it to the window, "Do you know this man?"

Asami's eyes narrowed, "Maybe."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. This man killed your former employer, Naru Osaka. We want to put him away. The prosecution is willing to strike a deal with you if you tell us everything you know concerning this man. She's willing to charge you with accessory, a misdemeanor that carries five years. But, it's really more like two and a half with good behavior."

"Who's the prosecutor?"

Clark's grin spread, "Meioh Setsuna."

Asami's blood ran cold, He had heard stories about Meioh. Her looks hid an incredible talent for getting whatever she wanted in the courtroom and a downright viciousness against criminals. More than a few veteran lawyers had come out of the courtroom with their heads spinning after a trial against her. Many of the cells here at the Detention Center were full in no small part to her efforts and her very name struck fear into the heart of many a repeat offender. I there was anyone that Asami feared more than the Cat, it was Meioh, "I'll tell you anything you want about Hirohito Sumisu. You just keep that bitch away from me."

"Glad to do business." Clark replied. He signaled Asami's guard, "Let's go somewhere more private where we can talk."

l-l-l-l

Asami sat, shackled wrists in plain view, across the table from Clark, "I thought you wanted to talk?"

"I do." He replied, "We're just waiting for one more."

There was an ominous clicking of heels as the "one more" approached. Asami didn't know who it was he expected but he knew, for certain, it wasn't who he saw. Setsuna rounded the corner and entered the interrogation room. She flashed her most predatory grin, one she reserved for murderers, rapists, and white collar criminals, one that said, "Your ass is grass."

She wore the gray business suit a little looser than was typical to hide the bandages wrapped around her waist. Though it was barely perceptible, Clark could see the dull film of pain over her normally bright eyes and her stride was just a beat slower than usual. _I shouldn't have brought her out of bed. She's still in too much pain to be up and about_, he thought regretfully.

Setsuna sat down between the two and began to pull equipment from her bag. A small laptop with a microphone, a small printer, and a digital voice recorder. It took her a moment to turn on the computer and key up the programs that would both translate Asami's words into a written report and record his verbal report for use in court.

"Are you ready?" He asked Setsuna, who gave a polite nod and set the microphone in the center of the table, "This is Jacob Castle, commander of task force Alpha-Two-Two-Nine. The date is Thursday, August the second, Two thousand and eleven. This is the verbal report of Asami Kenji-san, who has given his permission for this to be used as admissible evidence against Hirohito Sumisu, Police Commissioner of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, concerning interactions between Commissioner Sumisu and the late Naru Osaka, alias 'Cat'. With me is Setsuna Meioh of the Tokyo Federal Prosecutor's Office. Counselor Meioh has advised Asami-san of his rights regarding this report. Asami-san has agreed to his rights and wishes to continue. When you're ready, Asami-san."

"I had worked for Osaka-san for many years." Asami began, "My father had worked as a bodyguard for her father. Commissioner Sumisu was deep in debt from his gambling addiction. When we first met, he had come to Osaka to ask for a loan, figuring that he would be very profitable in his next gambling spree and be able to pay back all of his debts with a sizable profit left over. Osaka-san was not known for her generosity or her patience and had given him one week, exactly one week to return her money with fifteen percent daily interest."

Clark glanced over at Setsuna's computer. The program was indeed setting out the words in the proper Kanji exactly as Asami said them.

"When Sumisu was unable to come up with the money to pay Osaka, he offered, instead, to assist with her business. Because of his position of authority, he could keep her unencumbered and protect her from law enforcement attention as well as tip her off to any drugs in storage or potential trouble. Essentially, he made himself a valuable asset."

"Why, then, would the Commissioner develop Task Force Alpha-Two-Two-Nine?"

"All of this is I overheard, you understand. The City Council demanded that Sumisu develop a specialized task force to look into the drug, weapons, and human trafficking that had been increasing for the past ten years or Sumisu would lose his career and no longer be an asset to the Cat. The reason he selected those he did, he explained to her, was because they were the best, plain and simple. It was the mutual goal to kill all of you so Sumisu could report the task force as a complete failure to the city council, further demoralize the police force, and significantly reduce the likelihood of anyone in the entire force coming near Osaka again."

"Brilliant." Clark replied, genuinely impressed, earning him a startled and shocked look from Setsuna, "Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Asami shook his head, "That's all I know."

Clark nodded to Setsuna, who turned off the recordings and started the printer, which began to hum quietly as it printed out copies of Asami's statement.

"Our bargain?" Asami asked.

"We're willing to pursue accessory to trafficking operations. That carries a minimum sentence of a year per charge. You're looking at ten years." Setsuna informed him.

"What?" Asami asked in quiet disbelief.

"Really more like five with good behavior." Clark said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"You promised me that I would receive five years maximum." Asami pointed an accusatory finger at Clark.

"I made a prediction on what Setsuna was going to charge you with. Be thankful, my friend. She _was _going to slap you with a few harassment charges and accessory to twelve different murders. You'd have spent the rest of your life in prison."

"I never harmed a soul."

Clark shook his head, "Guilt by association. You drove the car. The Cat said so, herself. Like I said, be thankful. You can have your life back in a few years. I suggest you spend them wisely. Take a few college courses or do some tech training while you're in here." Clark suggested, "It's not like you'll have anything better to do."

l-l-l-l

Clark led the way through the precinct house, flanked by Rei and Minako. Sumisu would be tough, desperate. Desperate men did stupid things. There were several officers watching them. It had been nearly two years since any of these officers had seen any of their fellows on the task force. However, the horror stories, Hotaru, Makoto, Ami, Usagi, had reached their ears and they had figured the entire task force lost and the mission a total failure. Now, to see two of their comrades return with heads held high, silent and intimidating, made everyone question the information they had received and conclusions they had reached.

Sumisu was practically barricaded behind his desk with a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass.

"Hiro." Clark called, "Come out."

"I figured you'd get to me eventually. Should have left you in the States, where you belong. You've ruined me, dishonored my family."

"You did this to yourself, old friend." Clark replied, "Now, please, don't make a scene. Be an honorable and repentant man and pay your due to society."

Sumisu nodded and stood, "I have nothing more to lose."

As Minako went to cuff Sumisu, Clark and Rei began to gather evidence from his computer. Minako yelped and they both turned. Sumisu held her with an arm across her throat and the muzzle of her gun pressed to the side of her head.

Rei began to rush forward but Clark jerked her back, "Don't be a fool, Hiro."

"I told you, Clark. I have nothing more to lose. Nothing except my freedom. Now, Detective Aino and I are going to go for a little drive. None of you are invited."

"Hiro, there are over thirty cops in this building. Not to mention my own team."

"What? That idiot Tsukino? Forever pining for her dead husband. Or, perhaps you mean that dyke Tenoh. I should have thrown her out on her ass years ago when she announced to the whole world that she ate more pussy than any man and brought dishonor to my department. All of you were supposed to just disappear. If you had failed, this nightmare would be over and-" Sumisu's head exploded.

"Damn." Usagi radioed in, "Who knew that these fifty cals would have such a kick. Damn thing almost booted me out of my chair."

"Well done, Usagi." Clark replied, "I'm impressed."

"Hotaru wasn't the only one who got top marks in marksmanship."

Rei was busy tending to Minako, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," she replied with a nod before resting her forehead against Rei's shoulder, "God, I don't think I've ever been so scared, Rei."

Rei pulled the blonde close and began to walk with her to the door, "Let's get you cleaned up."

Clark turned to the nearest officer, a young androgynous CSI, and whispered conspiratorially, "You might want to clean this up."

"Yes, sir." The CSI replied.

"Afterwords," he said, handing the CSI his business card, "Give me a call. I have use for your talents."

"Yes, sir."

"And I'd appreciate any recommendations you might have."

"Actually, sir, my brothers all work here and they're very good at their jobs."

"Very good. We'll discuss it later..."

"Oh, er, Yaten Kou, sir."

"Very good, Kou. Call me at your first convenience but not before eight o'clock."

"Yes, sir."

Stepping out into the warm sunshine, Clark felt more content with his life than he had in years. Finally, he was doing good in the world, instead of just being a destructive bastard.

Usagi rolled up, yielding to the paramedics that had come to retrieve Sumisu's body, "It's over." She stated.

"What are you talking about?" Clark asked.

"The task force, this is it." She paused and turned to him, "Right?"

Clark looked down at her and smiled, "Not hardly, Lieutenant. The Cat was the head of only one of many crime families in Tokyo." He sighed, "No, we still have quite a bit of work ahead of us."


	29. Epilogue

l-l-l-l

**TEN YEARS LATER**

l-l-l-l

Their work had taken them so long. It had looked, for the longest time, like it would never end, that they would never see that precious light at the end of the tunnel. But now, as Usagi looked out from her window, the streets were safer. Children played as they had when she was a girl, chasing each other around the vehicles parked along the sidewalk, skipping rope in front of the houses, there was even a pickup game of baseball in a lot down the street. Usagi's only regret was that her daughter was now too old and considered such childish games to be below her station. Usagi understood. She had been much the same way when she had been fifteen.

"Ready."

Usagi turned her chair around and stared at her daughter in the slinky black evening gown, "Shows too much of your figure." She criticized.

Chibi-Usa rolled her eyes, "_Mom_."

"But, I'll allow it." Usagi finished with a smile, "Now, come on, we're going to be late."

Chibi-Usa dutifully pushed her mother out to the van, which was beginning to show it's age, and worked the controls, helping Usagi inside before climbing into the passenger seat, "When's he leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning." Usagi replied, pulling out onto the road.

"I'm really going to miss Clark-papa."

Usagi glanced at her daughter, "What did you say?"

"I said I'm really going to miss Clark-san."

"No. You called him something else."

"I did?"

"I think you called him 'Clark-papa'." Usagi smiled when she noticed the light blush tint her daughter's cheeks, "It's alright. I guess he has been a father-figure to you."

"Why does he have to leave?"

"He's getting too old, honey. He's almost sixty now and even he knows when he's reached his limits, however long they may be. Besides, he's no longer needed over here."

l-l-l-l

Clark's farewell party was being held on the top floor of an exclusive club. It had been rented by the T.M.P.D. with their budget surplus. There were so many new officers in her precinct alone that they were having to turn recruits away.

Usagi was about to roll through the door when an imposing figure stepped in her way, "Sorry, invitational only. Name, please?"

"You know damn well who I am, Corporal Taiki Kou."

Taiki smiled, "That's Sargent, Commissioner."

Usagi smiled sweetly, "Not if you don't get out of my way."

Paling, Taiki, wisely, stepped aside and allowed her entrance. A slow, sultry, _House of the Rising Sun_ rolled through the speakers to flood the room. Usagi had heard many covers of this old and famous song but not this particular one. Her eyes roved across the room until she spotted the source of the music. It wasn't a professional singer, though anyone who didn't know better would have thought otherwise. Rei clutched the microphone to a Karaoke set and put every ounce of emotion she possessed into her performance, which was actually quite good.

Usagi nearly laughed when she spotted a single tan hand, belonging to a certain blonde, reach up from the crowd to stuff a few yen into the waistband of Rei's jeans. Haruka and Michiru had eyes only for each other. Michiru was sporting a massive diamond ring, a symbol of Haruka's love and a promise of forever.

Setsuna had given the phrase, "letting your hair down," a brand new, dramatic, definition as she tried to dance, on a table, and not spill her drink.

"You," Usagi pointed a warning finger at her daughter, "may _not_ have any alcohol tonight. I'll not have my daughter making a complete and total ass of herself. Let's not forget New Years."

"Mom, that was when I was ten and only thought I was drunk."

"Yes, and I shudder to think of what might actually occur in the event you _do_ become inebriated."

"Oh, look, there's Yaten. Yaten!" Chibi-Usa hurried over to the silver-blonde who she had a crush on.

Something plopped into Usagi's lap, causing her wheelchair to bounce slightly, "Oh, God." she muttered when she saw who it was, "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"Wasssup?" Seiya Kou slurred, "Wha a great party, eh?"

"Now, Lieutenant, is that any way for the head of Violent Crimes to act?"

"Oh, lighten up, Commissh." Seiya stood and tried not to spill his drink, "Yah know wha you need? A drink. _I'll_ go get you one."

"Having fun, Commissioner Tsukino?" A familiar voice asked.

"At least _somebody_ is still sober." Usagi replied, "I really should thank you, Clark. You've helped me sort through the ne'er-do-wells in my department. Starting with this one. Thank you, Seiya." She took the martini from her subordinate, "Now, if you go sit down and be very quiet, I promise I won't fire you tomorrow."

"Pink slips for everyone!" Seiya cheered.

Usagi turned back to Clark, "What's your plans?"

"Retirement. Fishing in Florida. It's quiet and it's as far from you fucking Japanese as I can get."

"You fucking mealy, racist, bastard son of a whore." Usagi shot back and they both started laughing.

"I'm not going to stay long." Clark informed her, "I still have quite a bit of packing to do."

"You're not going to stay for your own party?"

He shook his head, "Never have been one for get-togethers."

She gave him a hug, "Be sure to go see Chibi-Usa before you leave. Out of all of us, I think she'll miss you the most. And certainly say good-bye to everyone else."

"Already did before you arrived. You have all of my contact information?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then." He cuffed Usagi on the chin, "Take care of yourself, kid."

Usagi watched him leave before returning to her thoughts. The city, and the entire nation, had seen a phenomenal change in such a short span of time. It was true what was often said, _Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has_.

A weight settled into her lap, pulling Usagi out of her reminiscing, "Welcome back, Seiya."

Seiya's head settled against her chest and his eyes drifted lazily closed, "No, Seiya. Don't you dare pass out on me." But, it was already too late and the Lieutenant was snoring and drooling on her blouse.

"You are so fired," she muttered as she turned her wheelchair and began to roll for the door, "Taiki, get your brother off of me before I have him arrested." She called out to the eldest Kou sibling.


End file.
